Following a successful trial of ‘Body Worn Video’ camera technology in 2013 and 2014, it was first supplied to frontline officers at Sydney’s Eastern Beaches in September 2015.

It is now being rolled out to more than 500 sites in metropolitan, regional and rural areas across the state.

The cameras, worn overtly on the officers’ uniform, are activated for use in operational policing to record incidents or events in real-time where visual and audio evidence will support an investigation.

They will also provide police with the ability to present visual and audio evidence at court.

Central West Police District Chief Inspector David Cooper said the cameras would complement other strategies to tackle crime and play an important part in the commitment to officer and community safety.

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“With millions of interactions between police and community members every year, the cameras will be an excellent tool to assist investigations by directly recording criminal behaviour and providing officers with a contemporaneous, unequivocal account of an incident,” Insp Cooper said.

The ‘M-View Matrix’ camera records high-definition wide-view vision and high-quality audio, with a capability to take still photographs, record audio only and record in low-light situations.

The footage is encrypted and safely stored on the camera, and once downloaded onto the secure police database; all footage on the camera is erased.

“I want to reassure the community our officers have received training on the appropriate use of BWV and members of the public will be informed if the camera is in use,” Chief Inspector Cooper said.

More information about Body Worn Video is available to the community via the NSW Police Force website: www.police.nsw.gov.au.