FRONTLINE police patrol staff will soon be wearing body video cameras in an initiative supported by and paid for by Surrey’s Police and Crime Commissioner.

The force will take on more than 1,200 of the Reveal devices operated in Hampshire, Thames Valley and in Sussex this month.

Their use by neighbouring forces means there is already a wealth of experience to call upon for training and adopting best practices, as well as sharing IT support and administration.

The key benefits according to PCC Ken Hurley are the cameras allows officers to capture evidence quickly, which can result in early guilty pleas at court, and a much faster legal process.

That saves victims having to go through the distressing experience of giving evidence in court, while also saving the force and the Crown Prosecution Service valuable time and resources.

Mr Hurley said: “I am very pleased Surrey Police will be adopting the use of body-worn video as soon as we can procure the units this year.

“As police and crime commissioner, I have been keen to encourage the introduction of this enormously effective piece of kit for some time now, and I look forward to witnessing the inevitable benefits.”

Det Supt Claire Pridgeon, director of the Surrey and Sussex digital team, added: “We know capturing evidence at an early stage is a vital part of our on-going efforts to bring more offenders to justice.

“There are occasions where victims are particularly vulnerable and may be unwilling to attend court, or provide further evidence.

“However, where early capture of injuries and accounts has taken place, that information can be used at court.

“This is obviously particularly useful for sensitive cases, such as dealing with the victims of domestic abuse.

“Another benefit from the use of body-worn video is it helps to increase public awareness of the dangers police face on a daily basis.

“There have been a number of recent incidents where, following a criminal trial, police forces have uploaded video footage onto social media in an effort to highlight the risks that officers face on a daily basis.

“While in some cases this may be distressing it highlights to the general public the lengths police go to in order to keep people safe.”

Recent research found public order and assault crimes dropped when frontline officers were wearing the video cameras, resulting in fewer assaults on police and, potentially, the number of days lost owing to staff being off sick owing to assaults on police being reduced.

In some parts of the UK the introduction of the hi-tech kit has also led to a reduction in complaints regarding use of force by officers.

The Metropolitan Police Service officers using the lapel-worn cameras (left) stated 80 per cent of the complaints against them could be disproved using video technology, which increased officer confidence about turning the video on.