Yorkshire police officers issued 'cutting edge' body-worn cameras

The state-of-the-art equipment allows the wearer to capture evidence from crime scenes and also features a front-facing screen, showing members of the public what is being recorded.

The phased roll out of the cameras is now underway, and Humberside Police is training more than 1,700 officers and staff to use the devices over the next year.

It hopes the devices will help support victims, secure convictions and reduce crime in the region.

One policing team in Hull is already using the body-worn cameras, designed by Reveal Media.

Humberside Police said some forces in the country have seen a rise in the number of suspects they have been able to charge in relation to domestic abuse, as a result of evidence captured on video at the scene.

They said there is also evidence that people who had been behaving violently have improved their behaviour when they have seen that they are being recorded.

The devices also have a movable camera head, allowing officers to get different angles without needing to unclip the camera, and hardware encryption means the footage remains safe.

Assistant Chief Constable Chris Noble, from Humberside Police, said: “We are excited to have such new and cutting edge technology to help us serve the communities in our area.

“The biggest motivation for rolling out this technology is to support victims - especially victims of domestic abuse.

“If just one perpetrator is put before the courts, who otherwise would’ve escaped justice, then the roll out of the cameras will have been worth all of the expense and complexities.”

Police and Crime Commissioner Keith Hunter said: “The benefits of this type of equipment are beginning to be recognised and I hope and anticipate that there will be fewer assaults on officers, that victims will have to attend court less frequently and that more guilty people will be convicted.

“Many forces already have cameras but I’m determined that Humberside Police gets on the front foot and leads rather than follows, so I provided the funds to buy this state of the art equipment, outstripping the capability of most other forces because our officers deserve to have the best tools available to do their job so that communities are best served by them.”

The cameras also provide an impartial and accurate picture of events, enabling greater clarity around complaints against officers and accountability where officers have to use force.