Maitland police will soon be fitted with body cameras in a bid to improve evidence gathering and officer personal safety.
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Body-worn video is expected to be rolled out to Hunter police next month as part of a gradual introduction of the equipment across the state.
The initiative comes after a trial involving 310 body cameras at 21 sites across NSW.
In that trial, complaints against police reduced by 17 per cent, assaults on police decreased by 38 per cent and the amount of evidence briefs police had to prepare went down 25 per cent.
“It really helps in those three areas,” Maitland police officer in charge Chief Inspector Glenn Blain said.
“We’re expecting to see similar effects here.”
Chief Inspector Blain said if police had less briefs to prepare, they could use that time to be out patrolling on the beat serving the community instead of being stuck doing paperwork.
The NSW Police Force says other benefits of the cameras include lower incidence or escalation of violence, increase in guilty pleas by defendants and improved public cooperation and interactions with police.
But as well as protecting officers, police agencies around the world that use the technology reported improved officer conduct.
NSW legislation states the cameras can be used for the investigation of complaints against, or the conduct of, a member of the NSW Police Force.
The cameras will be attached to the front of the officer’s uniform so they are visible to the public and will be used at the discretion of the officer.
Where practical, police will advise people that they are being recorded.
Their use will generally be incident specific or to capture something of relevance, for example when police would normally use their notebook to record information, to capture evidence or when exercising a police power.
They will be used by general duties police as well as traffic and highway patrol officers.
Port Stephens-Hunter crime manager Acting Inspector Mitchell Dubojski said the cameras would be a positive support and should complement other strategies to tackle crime.
“We welcome the cameras which will be supplied to our frontline officers,” Acting Inspector Dubojski said.
“Body worn video will play an important part in our ongoing commitment to officer and community safety.”
Sage Swinton
Sage Swinton is a news reporter who was born and bred in the Hunter. She has been with the Newcastle Herald since June 2020, and covers Newcastle council as well as other general news.
Sage Swinton is a news reporter who was born and bred in the Hunter. She has been with the Newcastle Herald since June 2020, and covers Newcastle council as well as other general news.
