Body Worn Video is now being rolled out to frontline officers and staff in North Worcestershire, after the Police and Crime Commissioner, John Campion signed off a £1million investment in the technology.
Body Worn Video will be used in Kidderminster, Stourport, Bewdley, Hagley, Bromsgrove and Redditch and throughout rural communities in North Worcestershire, as part of the PCC’s commitment to a modern, reformed police force. The technology has which has been shown to reduce complaints against police officers, help prevent crimes occurring and provide clear evidence of incidents when required.
Officers in Malvern were the first to pilot the technology in April, followed by officers and staff in Telford, and South Worcestershire. As of today, the kit will be rolled out to frontline officers and staff across North Worcestershire, with Shropshire, South Warwickshire and Herefordshire to follow in the coming months.
John Campion said “This technology plays a big part in my vision for a reformed, reassured and safer West Mercia and I am pleased to see it being rolled out ahead of schedule.
It is already clear that the increased transparency which the video provides is reassuring both the public and our officers, giving our communities greater confidence in the police service. The higher quality of evidence this delivers, provides a higher quality of service for victims and increases the chance of justice being served.
This, along with a number of other changes to technology, exemplifies how I am delivering on the promise I made to our communities to deliver the modern, forward thinking police force that they deserve.”
Mark Travis, Chief Superintendent, West Mercia South said: “Body worn video is a quiet revolution in policing, enabling front-line officers to have an independent first-hand account of events, recorded in real-time. This is of huge benefit in producing evidence for court and also allows officers to confront offenders with a recorded account of their actions. In many cases this either results in a ‘guilty’ plea or in the defence having no case to argue. The public feedback given to our staff has been overwhelmingly positive. We wholeheartedly welcome this valuable addition to the tools we have at our disposal, helping to prevent crime and protect our communities from harm.”
Issued: Wednesday 26th July 2017
