Smile for the camera!

Wednesday 05 November 2014

Police officers won't just be taking down what you say from next month - 30 officers will be issued with body cameras after a successful trial.

Money confiscated from criminals is being used to buy 30 cameras and the equipment to use them after police found that an initial trial had worked well.

As well as providing video evidence to use in trials or at sentencing hearings, the cameras are also a powerful deterrent – reminding people dealing with the police that their behaviour might be captured on video and played back later.

The cameras attach to police uniforms and can be switched on and off by the officer involved – guidelines issued to police say that they should be switched on at an early stage of dealing with an incident, that people being filmed should be told the equipment is being used, that filming should not be interrupted, and that the recordings should be left on during searches of people and their property.

Inspector Sarah Henderson, who has led the project said that they improved safety.

He said: “It provides independent evidence to support the prosecution of offenders, deter anti-social behaviour and ultimately improve community safety.

“Showing offender’s footage of their behaviour, whether via CCTV or on a BWV has led to them pleading guilty at an earlier stage and that has many effects – it means officers do not need to spend so long putting a case together, it means the court process is quicker and that ultimately results in less of a cost to the taxpayer.”

The equipment, which cost almost £33,000 which has come out of the Criminal Confiscation Fund, will be in use from the 1st December.