Lincolnshire Police have been trialling body-worn video cameras since October 2 2013 and they’ve proven helpful to many officers patrolling Lincoln.
Lincolnshire Police Senior Press Officer Dick Holmes says: “In many cases, officers have found people they’re interviewing to be less aggressive. It’s like CCTV because if a person knows they’re being filmed they’re more likely to behave themselves.”
The body-cameras are currently being used to help record evidential conversations with suspects and witnesses. Mr Holmes says that although it’s very early on in the trial, which ends February 2 2014, there’s a good chance the cameras might be used after the date in Lincoln and in other police forces.
However, Mr Holmes believes the cost of the equipment might be an issue : “There’s financial issues to take into account as well. They’re not cheap so it’s unlikely that all officers in Lincoln will have them,” he says.
An evaluation document will be produced after the trial phase, highlighting the benefits of the cameras. This can then be used be to inform whether further force-wide deployment will take place.
