Winnipeg police say they’re seeing more dashboard cameras in vehicles all over the city, and the gadgets can be a boon to investigations.
Patrol Sgt. Brian Neumann told 680 CJOB’s The Start that it’s typical to see dashcams in commercial vehicles, but traffic officers have noticed a shift with more people using them on their daily commutes.
“Often the public hears us request that they check their surveillance images,” Neumann said.
“Dash cameras aren’t the only things that are out there — intersection traffic monitoring cameras, closed circuit television — but the dash cameras are what we have a lot of interest in, because they’re actually recording what the driver could see. Not just what that driver could see, but the actions and what other drivers could possibly see.”
The video, and sometimes audio as well, can provide an unbiased account of what happened during a collision, a hit and run, or another crime.
While the increased number of dashcams means police — and insurance adjusters — can get a clear picture of what happens in a collision, Neumann said the presence of more dashcams hasn’t necessarily led to Winnipeggers becoming better drivers in general.
“The more cameras, the more you see … the more you’re shocked by the manner in which some people drive,” he said.
“By and large, I don’t think people are really thinking about whether they’re being recorded when they’re driving, because if they did, they probably wouldn’t do what they do.”