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On Tuesday 18 July 2023, the Chamber of Deputies (Luxembourg’s parliament) voted on several bills, including one related to police body cameras and another concerning the operating costs of two AIRBUS H-145M helicopters.
Speaking in parliament, Luxembourg’s Minister of Internal Security, Henri Kox, recalled that police body cameras had been provided for in the government coalition agreement. The use of such cameras is among measures being implemented by the Ministry of Internal Security to tackle drug-related crime in the Grand Duchy.
According to the ministry, the objectives of this bill are multiple: body cameras provide an objective view of events, protecting both citizens in the event of police misconduct and officers in the event of wrongful accusations. In addition, being filmed can cause some individuals to calm down, which can serve as a means of de-escalation to prevent assaults on police officers. The ministry also recalled that body cameras work in both directions, serving as a tool for both the police and the public.
With the bill now passed in parliament, a call for tenders will be launched to equip and train some 1,700 police officers with these cameras as quickly as possible for use in the field.
In addition, MPs unanimously passed the financing law for the operation and maintenance of two AIRBUS H-145M type helicopters made available to the Grand Ducal Police.
According to the Ministry of Internal Security, their use by the Grand Ducal Police serves both for research, support and surveillance, the transport of people and for patrols. Moreover, the Luxembourg Directorate of Defence can use it for rescue missions and search and rescue operations.
