After problems with the batteries in a third of the bodycams in NRW, the police are still waiting for more than a thousand replacement batteries. The global supply bottlenecks are to blame.
Düsseldorf (dpa / lnw) – The police in North Rhine-Westphalia are still waiting for 1,200 new bodycam batteries. According to the State Office for Central Police Services (LZPD), a first batch of 2,000 replacement batteries has been delivered so far. Because of the “global supply bottlenecks” the rest is still pending. The police authorities were informed on August 10 that there were problems with the batteries.
A review showed that around a third of the 9000 bodycams in NRW are affected. The batteries can therefore swell slightly, creating a small gap. In August, it was expected that all batteries would be replaced within four to six weeks. According to the LZPD, it is unclear when the missing 1200 batteries (price 30 euros each) will arrive. Even if the affected devices cannot be used, there is no bottleneck. All in all, the praesidia would have had enough.
The news of the defective batteries became known a few days after the deadly police shots at a 16-year-old in Dortmund. During the controversial operation, the officials’ body cameras were not switched on. It had nothing to do with the defective battery. According to the current state of investigation, the cameras were off because the operation was initially a suicide attempt. When the situation tipped over, the stressed officials apparently hadn’t thought to turn them on.
