Parking and Traffic Officer Bodycams

Parking and traffic officers in Central Bedfordshire to start wearing body cameras to improve their safety.

22:36 10 October 2018

Parking and traffic officers in Central Bedfordshire will start wearing body cameras on October 11 to improve their safety and gather video evidence for future prosecutions. The cameras, which will be worn overtly on a lanyard or fitted to the officer’s jacket, will only be activated when necessary.

 

The cameras have a screen that is visible to the person being spoken to. They are designed to display live footage being taken by the camera lens. Offenders will also be informed that a video is being taken and that footage may be used to collect evidence. 

 

Councillor Ian Dalgarno said: “We have invested in cutting-edge technology to help us serve the communities in our area better, and to keep them safer. “The cameras will allow front-line council officers to gather first-hand video and audio evidence of an incident. “They will give staff confidence when dealing with confrontational individuals, and will help to increase public confidence in the way we collect evidence.” 

 

“Body cameras are increasingly used by the police and by other local authorities. They are not intended as a replacement for other methods of evidence-gathering, but are an additional tool to support our investigations. 

 

“Footage can help to clearly show the impact and extent of antisocial behaviour, which can otherwise be difficult to describe in a written statement.”