Porters with a bodycam: will that become commonplace in Amsterdam nightlife
You see them more and more abroad and in other Dutch entertainment cities: bodycams with security guards in the nightlife. That is good for the public and safety on the street, advocates say. And not only that: “More and more security guards also see the usefulness in it”. At the Chin Club on the Rozengracht in Amsterdam, bodycams are installed to protect the safety of visitors and staff.
A camera on a doorman’s jacket or vest, which can be turned on as desired. The images end up in a good computer program, where club managers – if necessary police. The use of such a mobile camera system, bodycams, is currently not commonplace in Amsterdam. But in the hospitality and security sector, they see signs that this will change in the near future.
At the Chin Chin Club on Rozengracht they are tackling: security guards get cams to enjoy the safety of visitors and staff. The security guards, whom the club hires from an external company from Almere, will also wear a suit for a professional appearance.
An employee of the club, who wishes to remain anonymous, says that the measure is also intended to improve the image of the club. Multiple visitors on Google Maps about negative experiences with the club’s security personnel. A passer-by recently filed a report because security guards pulled him off the bike, hit him and threw homophobic things at his head. The police have settled the case; although there will be no prosecution, the Chin Chin Club has said goodbye to concerned security guards.
De-escalation
Equipping catering security with bodycams is no ordinary step, says Reinier Willems of ZEPCAM, a Delft company specialized in bodycams. “It is already quite normal in England and Australia. You also have a pharmacist there and in the supermarket. Due to the humiliation of society, more is needed for these kinds of de-escalating agents.”
Because it can record incidents on behalf of the camera and thus provide evidence, it also provides an external appearance, says van Geert Sijtzema International Security Agency (ISA). “We supply many porters around Leidseplein. Those guys experience one evening that they have been called bad fish thirty times.” “Because walkers at the door see the camera and then think: I have to behave.”
unusual
At the moment, the use of bodycams in Amsterdam nightlife is not yet common. “Four weeks ago I did an inventory at quite a few clubs,” says Eveline Doornhegge of the Amsterdam department of Koninklijke Horeca Nederland. “That solved a mixed picture. You notice that it is being considered, especially because after the corona crisis, the public is sometimes less approachable.”
Sijtzema that the use of bodycams in Amsterdam is still unusual. “I think Amsterdam is a bit behind in this regard, especially if you compare it with other nightlife cities, such as Rotterdam or Breda.” This is partly due to the fact that Amsterdam already has many cameras on the street. “But that is of little use in the event of incidents behind the front door. Sometimes you also see that security guards themselves do not like it. Because it influences how you do your work and how you approach people.”
safety
While the security guards can also benefit a lot from bodycams. If you have to evict someone, it is often people who are under the influence of intoxicated substances. right”, Sijtzema, who thinks that film material of such incidents can actually speak in favor of the security guards. “By the way, that resistance among security guards does not play a role at the better clubs, boys who have had a good education work there. They see the benefit of it.”
Sander Flight is a researcher and advisor in the field of security and crime and specializes in camera surveillance. In a comprehensive report he explains which rules apply and which companies are bound by if they want to use cameras.
The privacy rules are laid down in a law, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The main thing is that the reason for filming must be serious, because it is a restriction of privacy for people who can become. Clients must therefore be able to explain why they want to use bodycams. This legitimate interest is referred to in the GDPR.
In a written response, he explains that companies also take many measures in areas such as the security of the images, the requirements of recording and privacy protection for the public and guards.
Remarkable: for ‘mounted’ cameras (eg screwed to a wall) that don’t really work: the public must be informed that they can be started, for example via information boards. This does not apply to bodycams, although according to Flight it is ‘desirable’ that the public is aware that a bodycam can film them.
Sijtzema has no doubts that the cameras work. “Look at enforcement and the police. They have been using bodycams there for some time and the spirals of aggression have really gone down.” He thinks it’s only a matter of time before the use of bodycams in nightlife becomes commonplace, he thinks. “If someone says to a doorman: ‘I’ll shoot you in the head’ and you have it on screen, that can also be good for a much larger security image. Such a guy may already be known to the police and the judiciary.” In addition to the fact that it can work well for doormen and walkers, you can catch future ringleaders early on.
Pricey
So why do we see that the drug is not yet widely used? In addition to the professional honor of some security guards, the price tag also plays a role, according to Sijtzema. “One such camera plus the digital infrastructure costs around 2000 euros. Many security guards are self-employed, so that is a considerable investment.” He also believes that the clubs as clients can play a role in this. “At ISA we arrange it ourselves. In the public domain, the rule of thumb for us is that we equip our boys with bodycams. So also in nightlife.”