Robocops on patrol (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Robocops on patrol

9:37am Friday 2nd February 2007 in Chippenham By Gazette Reporter

New video helmets which allow police to film town centre violence have been trialled in Chippenham.

Senior Wiltshire Police officers believe the colour cameras, which are fitted to a headset, Robocop style will expose what frontline officers have to deal with every weekend in the form of verbal and physical abuse, mostly fuelled by alcohol.

Two troublespots, Chippenham and Melksham, are the first to trial the equipment, as both have seen an increase in town centre disorder in recent weeks.

Two head cameras, which cost about £500 each, have already been tested by officers in Chippenham and are now being used in Melksham.

Wiltshire Police have secured funding for eight more cameras, which should be brought into use by April.

A six-month trial will follow. If the pilot scheme proves successful they could become part and parcel of policing in Wiltshire, covering all areas of crime including drug raids and domestic violence.

The cameras, powered by battery packs, can take hours of footage as they are linked to a hard drive. They record audio and visual footage, bringing the scene of a crime to life and better portraying an offender's behaviour.

advertisement This will be particularly useful in dealing with drunken yobs and unruly gangs.

The test will be whether the evidence gathered using the head cameras proves effective in court.

Inspector Glynn Hookings, of the community safety department, said cameras and video evidence were a vital part of policing today.

"There has been a big change in policing. I think first society is more accepting of CCTV and the fact cameras are monitoring us wherever we go," he said.

"I think the head cameras will open the eyes as to what police officers have to face.

"We have to make sure we are using it for the right reasons and the quality of what we are using meets evidential standards in terms of court."

Talking about the choice of Melksham and Chippenham as the first towns to trial the equipment, Insp Hookings added: "There have been issues with anti-social behaviour and crime in Chippenham town centre and there has been some similar incidents in Melksham over the Christmas and New Year period.

"Initially we are going to focus on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings."

Officers have welcomed the cameras, which Insp Hookings called lightweight, unobtrusive and robust'.

It is also hoped the cameras will cut down on paperwork, so officers can spend more time on the beat.