Police officers to start wearing body cameras

OFFICERS at Wales’ biggest police force will have body cameras by the end of the month in an attempt to decrease violence and help gather evidence.

Thousands of South Wales Police officers are set to be given the cameras during the next few months, the largest deployment of the cameras outside of the Metropolitan Police in Greater London.

Officers hope the cameras will replicate benefits seen by other forces who use the devices, including changing the behaviour of offenders and increasing guilty pleas by defendants in court.

South Wales Police Assistant Chief Constable (ACC) Richard Lewis said: “Equipping our officers with body-worn cameras is the start of a new way we capture, utilise and share digital evidence.

“The technology is very exciting and will assist officers and staff in doing their jobs, it will ensure that we are more accountable to the public that we serve and in turn build trust with our communities.

“This will be one of the largest deployment of body-worn video cameras to police officers outside of the Metropolitan Police with all uniform frontline officers being personally equipped with devices and all our police community support officers (PCSOs).

“Soon our officers and staff will be able to record the challenges they face on a daily basis.”

A total of 2,300 officers, including PCSOs, police constables and sergeants, will be given a body-worn camera.

Officers in Cardiff will all have cameras by the end of this month with officers across the rest of force receiving theirs from June.

Video will only be recorded when an officer has activated the camera and a red flashing light will indicate when it is recording.

South Wales Police said when possible, officers will tell the person they are speaking with that they are being filmed.

ACC Lewis said: “The use of the camera will be at the officers’ discretion in the main but we will be providing direction on when they should be used – for instance when carrying out a stop and search, when attending an incident of domestic violence, or when they feel there will be a use of force – but officers will generally use the camera when they would normally use their notebook to record information, capture evidence, or record something of relevance or when exercising a police power.

“As a force we are committed to innovation and implementing modern technology to enhance officers’ job performance, to better protect our communities, and to strengthen public trust.

“We are confident that it will benefit the police, the courts and the community.”

North Wales Police force was the first in Wales to issue officers with body cameras in June 2016, followed by Gwent Police and Dyfed-Powys Police.