May 24, 2018 10.40 am This story is over 70 months old

Humberside Police officers get body worn cameras

Mission to support victims and reduce crime
Photo: Humberside Police

Body worn video cameras have been issued to Humberside Police officers to support victims and reduce crime.

There will be a phased roll-out over the next year and training for almost 1,700 officers, PCSOs and staff.

The cameras are the very latest design from Reveal media and feature a front facing screen – which means that members of the public can see what is being recorded.

They also have a movable camera head, allowing officers to get different angles without having to unclip the camera and hardware encryption means that footage is safe and secure from the moment it is recorded.

Some forces have seen an increase in the number of suspects they are able to charge in relation to domestic abuse, thanks to evidence captured on video at the scene.

Others have noted an increase in early guilty pleas when footage from body worn cameras is shown in court.

The force added there is also evidence that people who had been behaving violently or in a disruptive way have improved their behaviour when they have seen that they are being recorded.

Assistant Chief Constable Chris Noble said: “The biggest motivation for rolling out this technology is to support victims – especially victims of domestic abuse.

“If just one perpetrator is put before the courts, who otherwise would’ve escaped justice, then the roll out of the cameras will have been worth all of the expense and complexities.”

Police and Crime Commissioner Keith Hunter added: “The benefits of this type of equipment are beginning to be recognised and I hope and anticipate that there will be fewer assaults on officers, that victims will have to attend court less frequently and that more guilty people will be convicted.

“Many forces already have cameras but I’m determined that Humberside Police gets on the front foot and leads rather than follows, so I provided the funds to buy this state of the art equipment, outstripping the capability of most other forces because our officers deserve to have the best tools available to do their job so that communities are best served by them.”