 Footage of an incident can be used as evidence in court |
Police in Bristol are trialling the use of "head cameras" to record any trouble resulting from England's World Cup match against Trinidad and Tobago. The cameras are strapped to officers heads, and are designed to record a clear account of any situation they deal with.
Four officers on patrol on Thursday evening will wear the equipment.
Several hours worth of footage can be recorded and the film can be used in court as evidence.
Instant play-back
Insp Mike Cox said: "A really useful feature for officers is the ability to instantly play back footage.
"So, when you're dealing with a potentially very confusing public order situation, the task of trying to determine the cause or exactly who was involved is made far easier."
Bristol has a total of six cameras. Four will be used by officers on patrol in the city and, in future, two will be used by specialist domestic abuse officers to assist in the prosecution of offenders and protection of victims.
The cameras are clearly visible and officers using them wear a special fluorescent top labelled "police evidence gathering team".
"They also allow us to show an offender who was drunk or intoxicated just why they ended up spending a night in the cell," said Insp Cox.
"[It] can be a very effective and sobering experience as well as reduce the time officers spend writing up statements or debating accounts of events; the footage speaks for itself."
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They also allow us to show an offender who was drunk or intoxicated just why they ended up spending a night in the cell,
