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Head cams to go force wide
POLICE across Durham are to be wired up with tiny cameras after the success of a trial scheme.
The evidence-gathering technology, no bigger than a man's thumb, will be worn routinely by officers.
The launch of the force-wide scheme was aided by a 50,000 Home Office grant that covered the cost of equipment.
It was rolled out after the success of a pilot in "hot spots" in Durham, targeted domestic violence and night-time disorder.
After that operation, a further 18 cameras were introduced and now more than 60 will be available to bobbies and police community support officers (PCSOs).
Pc Paula Kempin, the officer co-ordinating the launch of the extended head cam operation, said the benefits of using the equipment were clear to see.
She was confident the presence of more head cameras would help deter people from committing crime as they provide officers with opportunities to collect compelling evidence.
She said: "During a national pilot in Devon and Cornwall the cameras were credited with a fall of nearly 13 per cent in violent crime and a 26 per cent rise in detections.
"Additionally, they provided a record of how police officers and PCSOs responded to the problems that confronted them.
"Spurious allegations against officers were identified at the earliest opportunity and in the national pilot there was a reduction of more than 14 per cent in the number of complaints against police."
At least three cameras, recording specific incidents in video footage and audio, will be available to every shift or neighbourhood policing teams.
The decision on which officers wear them will be made by supervisors.
PC Kempin said: "This equipment is about preventing and deterring antisocial behaviour.
"People's actions and behaviour change when the head cams are about and this was regularly seen by PCSOs.
"When anyone blights the lives of others by disorderly and unacceptable behaviour then we will record it and the courts will see it first hand."
There will however be no constant recording.
Officers wearing the cameras have control of the on-off switch and are trained to decide the merits of when it should be used.
Use of footage collected on a hard drive will be carefully managed under strict rules and regulations and will always be for a policing purpose.
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Thursday 09 February 2012
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