NS will evaluate within two months whether it wants to use body cameras on a large scale among its staff. At the beginning of this year, the railway company started a pilot project in which certain employees wear a camera that can be switched on in 'difficult situations'.
On January 15, NS started testing body cameras. During this pilot project, 120 chief conductors and service employees will wear a body camera that records both image and sound after being switched on. This material should be useful when there are no eyewitnesses to an incident. It is an addition to the cameras that have been worn by 700 security employees since 2018.
In a letter to the House of Representatives, outgoing State Secretary Heijnen reports that NS will end the pilot project within two months, as previously promised. The railway company therefore does not comply with the PVV's wish to stop the trial early and immediately start the broad rollout. NS does note that the decision will follow immediately after the end of the trial period.
By taking sufficient time, NS wants to ensure that its staff can get used to the technology and that the right experience is gained. If used incorrectly, body cameras can have an escalating effect in some situations. In addition, it is a significant investment to equip 3,700 employees with body cameras.