Almost 1,700 police officers are to be equipped with body cams in the future following Wednesday's vote.

On Wednesday, the governing parties (Democratic Party - DP, Luxembourg Socialist Workers' Party - LSAP, Green Party - déi Gréng) voted in favour of the required law in the Chamber of Deputies. The Christian Social People's Party (CSV), the Alternative Democratic Reform Party (adr), and the Pirate Party opted to abstain from the vote, while the Left Party (déi Lénk) voted against it.

Body cams allow police officers record their operations and are said to provide enhanced protection for both the officers and citizens involved. The implementation of body cams is aimed at fostering prevention and facilitating potential de-escalation in various situations.

The decision on when to activate the camera lies with the police officer, who is required to announce its use unless doing so might be counterproductive to the situation at hand.

Officers will undergo specialised training, and a review will be conducted after two years of usage. A budget of €6 million, distributed over five years, has been allocated for the procurement of the cameras.

The concept of body cams for police officers has been the subject of prolonged discussions. Six years ago, the then Minister of Internal Security, Etienne Schneider, initially approved the use of such cameras.

The police union SNPGL was initially in favour of body cams but has since changed its stance to opposition.

It will take some time before the body cameras can be put into practice. Now that the law has been successfully passed, authorities can proceed with the tendering process to acquire the necessary equipment.