Yarra Ranges Council’s Community Safety Officers have begun trialing the use of body worn cameras as part of their standard uniform, when out in the field.
The cameras will be secured on vests, reducing the amount of additional equipment required and will make Council’s Community Safety Officers easily identifiable when out in the community.
Community Safety Officers are tasked with many varying challenges, ranging from stray animal pickups, and securing wandering livestock, to dog attacks, illegal burning off and illegal rubbish dumping.
In these instances and more, the cameras will be used when responding to calls or potentially hazardous situations.
The equipment will also assist the officers in obtaining information and evidence in a safer, more efficient way, while helping keep the community safe. Cameras will also be used when attending afterhours calls, where built-in GPS tracking will improve safety for our officers.
Evidence from other councils using similar equipment has shown that body-worn cameras can de-escalate situations if officers are called out to an incident involving aggressive behaviour.
Data recorded by the cameras will be managed in line with relevant government legislation and Council’s privacy policy.
Yarra Ranges Mayor, Cr Jim Child, said the new equipment would assist Council’s Community Safety Officers greatly when going about their work in the field.
“The wearing of cameras also provides our officers with great learning opportunities, as it enables them to re-watch and review recordings of incidents to see what, if any, adjustments could be made in future situations,”Cr Child said.
