The Commissioner for Information of Public Importance and Personal Data Protection said the Announcement by the Municipal Police of the City of Belgrade of 25 September 2016 titled "Everything we do is within the law" (which grossly misrepresents the Commissioner's Warning issued after an inspection conducted pursuant to reports of inadmissible recording of citizens or police officers) was an irresponsible attempt to mislead the public.

It is downright outrageous for the Municipal Police to label the inspection conducted by the Commissioner in accordance with the Law and the Warning he issued on that occasion as "tendentious", even though the relevant facts had been established by the Commissioner's authorised officers and recorded in the Report signed by a representative of the Municipal Police.

Instead of irresponsibly attempting to discredit the activities of the Commissioner as an institution, it would be opportune and responsible for the Municipal Police to explain to the public under which law, how and for what purpose it purchased 250 cameras which it is not legally authorised to use; indeed, the use of such cameras directly violates the Law on Municipal Police itself.

It would likewise be a fair and responsible thing to do to explain to the public why the quality of the purchased cameras is so poor that the Municipal Police effectively does not record anything, at least not using those cameras, but not for the lack of intent, but because of the sub-par quality of the purchased equipment, which produces footage of such low resolution that it is virtually impossible to fully identify persons or licence plates of recorded cars, as has been observed in some of the video recordings (those that have been made all issues notwithstanding) that have been made available to the Commissioner's authorised officers, which was also noted in the Report.

Finally, an explanation is also in order as to why municipal police officers nevertheless wear those cameras on the lapels of their uniforms, even though the quality of recorded footage is so poor. The official explanation provided, namely that this "protects the integrity of municipal police officers", is obviously unacceptable both from a legal point of view and based on common sense. It is not the duty of the Municipal Police to mislead the citizens in any way. It should and must build its authority with the public not by resorting to any tricks, but by strictly upholding the law and citizens' rights and by acting accordingly.