Use of body worn video cameras being extended
The use of body worn video cameras is being extended with a trial introducing 80 new cameras to Sussex Police.
The use of body worn video cameras is being extended with a trial introducing 80 new cameras to Sussex Police.
The trial, funded by the Home Office, will help officers store vital evidence at crime situations, with a particular focus on domestic abuse and anti-social behaviour, as well as for stop searches and licensing enforcement.
Officers at Brighton and Hove, Wor thing, Crawley and Eastbourne will be taking part in the trial, which forms part of a larger Home Office trial being conducted across a number of forces. Superintendent Russ Whitfield said: We have been using these discrete, but visible, body worn video cameras in certain areas of the force and it has proved successful so far. A more focused trial will test the best equipment on the market and help us to gauge its effectiveness for recording certain crime scenes.
The overriding priniciple is to improve the service we deliver to the public. The camera evidence will support us in a number of areas of policing and help victims and witnesses though the court process as we are likely to obtain overwhelming evidence of offences.
With the latest equipment it is possible for us to play back the recording almost immediately. This is especially useful in showing parents the activities of their children. With regard to domestic abuse we believe the cameras will be able to support victims by providing crucial evidence.
Supt Whitfield reassured residents that it is not a case of big brother watching people. The use of the cameras is carefully regulated. There isnt any indiscriminate filming. The filming is of incidents and arrests and mostly people will be informed that they are being filmed.
West Yorkshire Police is using Home Office funding to equip its Kirklees division with 15 new headcams to gather video evidence of crimes.
The headcams mounted on the side of the officers head are connected to a multi-media system capable of recording eight hours of video over a period of 30 days. Huddersfield neighbourhood policing team Inspector David Glover believes they will be a real asset in tackling various issues across Kirklees: The division expects to see a reduction in anti-social behaviour in areas where these are regularly patrolled by its neighbourhood policing constables and police community support officers (PCSOs) utilising these headcams.
Response officers attending domestic-related incidents will also use the headcams to capture real-time footage of the trauma on the victim, any visible injuries, damage to property and the demeanour of the alleged offender or offenders. It can also be worn on motorcyclists helmets and even handlebars of off-road motorcycles. This is a marvellous tool for dealing with the problem of nuisance motorcycles and quads and provides valuable evidence for the police to identify riders and their vehicles.
