Door staff at nightclub and pub venues in Lowestoft are making use of new ‘body cams’ to tackle crime and disorder in the town.??
Three new ‘body cam’ devices – small shoulder/ chest mounted cameras – have been purchased with cash from the Police Authority Partnership Fund and these cameras will now be used by a number of venues who are part of the Nightsafe scheme in the town.??
The three cameras will be used on a rotating basis by door staff at the key nighttime economy businesses on the seafront, in Lowestoft High Street and in Oulton Broad and are already proving useful, police say.?? The cameras allow door staff to capture images if there are any disputes or altercations inside or outside venues and footage can then be used to assist any police investigation and in any court case.??The move follows on from police head cams – cameras which are worn by police officers on public order patrols or when attending incidents.??The body cams record both audio and visual footage and are collected by police at the end of the night shift ready for the next use.??Lowestoft Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT) Inspector Sarsfield Donohue said the cameras would support work already done by the police, Waveney District Council and licensees to deal with alcohol-related crime and anti-social behaviour.??“We want to ensure that residents and visitors to Lowestoft can enjoy a safe night out and these cameras are predominantly there to provide an additional layer of security and a deterrent to those who would act in a violent or abusive manner.??“Those who do cause problems need to be aware their actions will be recorded and may be used in a prosecution against them.”??The money to purchase the cameras came from Suffolk Police Authority’s Partnership Fund – part of the Authority’s budget that is shared between the county’s seven districts to fund community projects and engagement activities that support SNT priorities.??The funded projects are often joint initiatives between SNTs and partner agencies – in this case members of the Nightsafe scheme including licensees and Waveney District Council.
