The roll-out of Body Worn Cameras to Launceston Police starts today.

“The first Body Worn Cameras issued to frontline officers stationed in Launceston will be operational from tomorrow,” said Northern District Acting Commander Gary Williams.

“This is a significant step forward in terms of providing a safe working environment for our frontline officers and I’m positive about the many benefits Body Worn Cameras will bring to Launceston Police and the community of Northern Tasmania.”

Body worn cameras are highly visible to anyone interacting with a police officer, attached to the front of a police officer’s high-visibility vest. Police officers will record their attendance at all operational incidents in accordance with established policy and guidelines for the use of the devices.

“Deploying Body Worn Cameras to Launceston Police is an important phase in the staged deployment of cameras to all frontline officers across the state,” said the Project Manager, Acting Inspector Marco Ghedini.

“A police officer wearing a body worn camera will have the ability to obtain timely audio visual evidence at an incident scene and later tender that recording as evidence to the court,” said Acting Inspector Ghedini.

Some 70 body worn cameras were issued to Hobart police officers last month.

“Information from other police jurisdictions suggests that the use of this evidence in court contributes towards early guilty pleas. This may further reduce administrative burdens on police and the courts,” said Acting Inspector Ghedini.

It is anticipated that the introduction of Body Worn Cameras to frontline police officers will provide significant operational benefits across frontline policing, including:

• Improved safety to frontline officers by positively influencing the behaviour of people in custody.
• Providing an accurate record of events to resolve cases where drugs and/or alcohol may have impacted on the recollection of witnesses and offenders.
• Further enhancing the ability for police officers to gather quality timely evidence at incident scenes and from interactions with members of the public.
• Supporting successful prosecutions, including in cases of family violence, positively contributing towards the safety of the Tasmanian community and victims.
• A reduction in administrative burden for frontline police officers, particularly when handling digital evidence. This will allow police officers to focus on core policing functions which will positively contribute towards community safety.