New South Wales Police have flagged the introduction of mandatory body-worn video use for officers, a move welcomed by the state's peak Indigenous legal body.

On Monday evening, the ABC's Four Corners program revealed numerous disturbing cases of police brutality since 2020, a period that has also seen a sharp rise in civil suits against the force.

Over the five years to 2024, there were, on average, about 1,000 findings of misconduct each year following internal investigations. However, only two per cent resulted in charges being laid against an officer.

In response to the program, Assistant Commissioner Peter Cotter, who oversees all NSW Police internal investigations, said a review of body-worn video standard operating procedures was underway and would result in changes, although they had not yet been formally approved by the commissioner.

"When we're going to be using force or using a power, yeah, they [body-worn cameras] will be switched on and recording," he told ABC Radio.

Not shocked by the violence

The Aboriginal Legal Service (ALS) NSW/ACT welcomed the announcement, saying that while the violence exposed by Four Corners was "inexcusable", it was "not shocked by it".

"Too many of our clients, including children, have been subjected to police violence," acting chief executive Sharif Deen said.

"We applaud the courage of our staunch clients and other victims of police violence who participated in this investigation, and acknowledge the work of our staff who support our clients in their fight for accountability and justice every day."

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Greens MP and justice spokesperson Sue Higginson said the program's revelations were unsurprising.

"I know they barely scratch the surface of a toxic and brutal culture that exists in the police force," she said.

Assistant Commissioner Cotter told ABC Radio the program showed "over a five-year period a highlight reel of us being at our worst".

"So, you know, we are not certainly proud of some of those instances," he said.

Currently, the use of body-worn cameras is discretionary. Under the proposal, NSW Police officers would be required to activate their cameras as soon as they exercise a police power, bringing the state into line with every other jurisdiction except Western Australia.

Losing trust in police

The change has long been advocated by the ALS and the state's police watchdog, the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission (LECC).

"People are rightly losing trust in the police," Ms Higginson said.

"The NSW Police are the most complained about police agency with complaints growing each year. The default system is for the Police to investigate themselves and it's not working. The LECC needs more investigators to investigate complaints, rather than simply referring them to the police to investigate themselves."

She said that in the small number of cases the LECC does investigate, police often avoid meaningful "scrutiny and accountability" because of limitations on the watchdog's powers.

"The LECC called for changes to their powers and it's shocking that Premier Chris Minns and the Police Minister have not responded," she said.

Mr Deen agreed, arguing police violence "won't be reckoned with until there is independent oversight of police misconduct".

"As we have said before, it's neither appropriate nor effective for police to investigate themselves," he said.

"How many more of these stories will never see the light of day? We continue to call for robust, fully resourced and independent police accountability for NSW. Police should never investigate police."