Body worn camera footage captures two staff assaults

We have seen an increase in usage of body worn cameras since we had a relaunch in March and are already seeing the benefits of staff wearing the cameras.

Footage recorded on body worn cameras of two recent incidents where staff suffered an assault have been downloaded and passed to our colleagues in the Police to assist with building a case for prosecution.

The other primary purpose of wearing the cameras is to help de-escalate situations where staff feel threatened, and we have also had numerous reports of incidents where this has been successfully achieved.

Adam Mack, Health, Safety & Security Specialist at EEAST, said:

“Having served as a Police officer for many years, I am acutely aware of how vitally important body worn camera footage can be, when securing evidence for a prosecution.

"As an organisation, we have gathered positive momentum with regards to the roll-out of the body worn cameras across the trust, which is a fantastic step in the right direction, to help increase the safety of our staff on the front line.

“When an incident involving the activation of the body worn camera has occurred, the staff are required to complete a DATIX noting the camera’s activation, which is immediately sent to the Health, Safety & Security team. Staff can be reassured that the footage captured on the body worn cameras, will only be viewed by members the Health, Safety and Security team in order to determine if it meets the criteria to be retained from an evidential standpoint. The footage will not be used for any monitoring purposes.”

If you are interested in using the cameras and are in area where the cameras are operational, please talk to a Leading Operations Manager to discuss.

Thursday 11th May 2023