Chief constable welcomes roll-out of BWV

Avon and Somerset Constabulary is to issue 2,300 body-worn video (BWV) cameras to frontline police officers and police community support officers (PCSOs).

It says they will be distributed in a phased approach and officers across the force area are expected to start using the cameras from the end of the year.

Additional BWV cameras will be also used by other roles within the force in the future.

Chief Constable Andy Marsh, national police lead for BWV, said: “When an officer wears a camera the evidence captured is often much higher quality. I have seen earlier admissions and quicker pleas, together with better-informed sentences and sanctions from courts.

“I want to equip my officers and PCSOs so they can provide a high-quality service to the public that is open and transparent, and keeps them safe. I believe that BWV cameras will help us deliver this, as well as helping to professionalise the service we offer.

“A picture paints a thousand words and this is a further step in using digitalisation to transform policing and the criminal justice service for the better.”

Avon and Somerset police and crime commissioner Sue Mountstevens said the new technology will “transform the way the police work, achieve better outcomes and create fewer complaints”.

“Supporting the police in being open and transparent, the devices will help give a complete tale of events, for example, when recording stop and searches or domestic abuse incidents,” she said.

“These body-worn cameras will also make a real difference in giving local people more confidence in their policing service.”