Frontline police officers, PCSOs and Special Constables in Stone and across Staffordshire are to get body cams.
The body-worn video cameras will be rolled out to officers across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent in the coming months following a successful pilot by Newcastle-under-Lyme Local Policing Team. The scheme has been funded by Staffordshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Ellis.
Mr Ellis says the cameras will improve evidence gathering, give better protection to officers, ensure transparency when dealing with the public and prove invaluable in instances where there are complaints against officers. He says they will also lead to efficiencies and savings at court through the use of video evidence instead of thousands of written words – cutting paperwork and getting officers back on the streets.
The scheme will provide 530 new cameras at police bases – enough for every frontline officer, PCSO and Special Constable on duty at any one time. It will allow officers at the touch of a button to record video and audio at crime scenes, including low-light situations, which can then be played directly in court as evidence.
Mr Ellis said: “This is something I’m keen to invest in. It is part of a major technology plan to free up officer time and create thousands of extra hours of visible policing. It will help officers get the best possible evidence, it will protect people who are being arrested and it will save a vast amount of time by providing actual pictorial evidence in court rather than thousands and thousands of words.”
Staffordshire Police is believed to be the first force in the UK to have body cams for all frontline officers.
Click HERE to see a video report from the BBC on the body cams.
