Smile! You’re on bobby cam...
Follow the action in Cops UK: Bodycam Squad Film crew records their trials and tribulations
That’s 128 wraps of crack destined for here. It gives recovering addicts a chance
Late-night violence, missing kids and cocaine dealers... police tell us about life on the beat
From soaring knife crime to the ongoing terror threat and a rise in violence, the latest stats reveal the dangers our police officers face every time they go out on the beat.
Cops UK: Bodycam Squad is the cutting edge new documentary revealing the fast-paced lives of our cops through their own eyes.
It uses cameras strapped to officers’ chests to provide a unique insight into the reality of working on the frontline fighting crime.
For viewers, it’s the closest thing to joining the police officers on a shift. They deal with everything from violent attacks and robberies to searching for an Alzheimer’s patient who has gone missing.
Here some of the officers featured share their experiences…
BEING FILMED
PC Ash Cope: “It was strange at first having the camera crew with you but it’s a good opportunity to talk back through a job and explain how we dealt with it.”
PC Lee Tatton: “It was put to our shift about the camera crews coming out with us and I was happy to volunteer. After a while it became second nature explaining to them what we were dealing with. I hope it will give people an insight into what we do and the things we have to deal with at 4am and 5am, when most people are tucked up in bed.”
CATCHING A DRUG DEALER
PC Greg Hill: “Brilliant day at the office. That’s 128 wraps of crack cocaine which were destined for Stoke-on-Trent today and they’re not here. It gives recovering addicts a chance.” THE TOWN CENTRE NIGHT SHIFT PC Lee Tatton: “With a high concentration of people in a very small area, and many of them drunk, you are guaranteed offences in one way or another. It’s the type of people that are out, the amount of drinking. You are going to get arrests because you’ve got to police that proactively.” JOINING THE POLICE PC Kerry Broadhurst: “I was born in Stoke-on-Trent, I always lived there. I wanted to give something back to the community, and becoming a police officer was a way for me to do that.” THEIR FIRST WEEK IN THE FORCE Heather O’Brien, trainee police officer: “I went to what they said was a burglary. I was quite frightened. It was pitch black and I was thinking that anyone could jump out!” THE THEFT OF A MAN BAG PC Tim Horsfall: “Someone’s done him a favour there because, who wants a man bag? To be fair, we live in a very diverse culture and I think people who want to have man bags should be allowed to have man bags, but they’re not for me.”
FINDING A MISSING CHILD
PC Lee Tatton: “The greatest fear of any child going missing, ultimately, is that you’re going to find them dead. As an officer, it’s a huge relief he’s been found. As a parent you can only sympathise and empathise with them, the relief they must feel. Every effort was made and the child was located, so great news all round.”