Hunter Police will soon be fitted with body cameras on their person, as the technology is rolled out across the state next month.
It follows a trial involving 310 body cams at 21 sites across NSW, where the devices were found to reduce complaints against police by 17% and cut down the detail of court evidence briefs by 25%.
Maitland's Chief Inspector, Glen Blaine, said not only will it help the courts, it will improve officer safety by 38%.
"We're looking forward to having them," he said, "it assists our police with regards to their brief preparation and reduces complaints against them while improving officer safety - so we welcome anything that can keep our officers and the community safe."
Inspector Blaine explained that where possible, offenders and other people will be advised when they are being recorded, while the cameras will be attached to the front of officers' uniforms.
"In urgent circumstances, sometimes officers won't have time to tell them because of the urgent nature of the situation they're responding to," he said, "but where it's possible, calm and safe to do so, they definitely will [inform people]."
While Inspector Blaine believes there are many advantages to using the cameras, the technology will not tell the full story behind an offender's action which could mitigate or aggravate their sentence in court.
The cameras will, as such, be used as a complement to traditional crime-fighting strategies.
They will be used by general duties police and highway patrol squads.
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| Captured: Police cameras will sit on officers' lapels. Image: Triple J. |
