Cambridgeshire Constabulary have unveiled new plans to equip officers with ‘headcams’ for patrols on Friday and Saturday nights.

Officers trialled the cameras on patrol for the first time over the weekend to check for anti-social behaviour in the southern towns of Cambridgeshire, including Cambridge itself.

Police say that the headcams, which have been in use in Peterborough for nearly two years, will help them obtain good quality evidence at crime scenes, public order incidents and domestic violence incidents.

Because the footage from the cameras can be used in court, it is hoped that police will be able to successfully prosecute offenders in instances where victims may be reluctant to give statements. In neighbouring forces, the cameras have led to an increase in the number of offenders being charged and prosecuted successfully.

The cameras are expected to play a key role in extra night time patrols in the lead up to Christmas, following on from a successful pilot last year, to tackle alcohol-fuelled incidents of crime and anti-social behaviour.

Inspector Ian Lyons is optimistic about the impact the headcams will have on making patrolling more effective in the city. He said, “This was trialled on the division quite some time ago and we are now in a position where training has been rolled out to reactive officers, neighbourhood officers, PCSOs and soon to be trained are Special Constables.

“The cameras will be worn by officers attending incidents in Cambridge, Ely, Histon and Sawston. It is hoped that as well as gaining good quality evidence, it will help keep the public and officers safe if offenders know they could be captured on film.”
Some students, however, were unhappy with the suggestion of cameras, expressing concerns they could infringe on personal privacy.

“The seems another example of an ever extending big brother state,” said Simon Glasson, a SPS student at Caius.

“When we’re already one of the world’s most filmed countries, extending surveilance seems ridiculous, and  is a potential threat to civil liberties.”

A recent Varsity report highlighted the extent of violent crime in Cambridge, reporting 14 arrests in the city centre in a single weekend this term. A spokesman for the police told Varsity in response that violent crime had fallen in the past year, with 85 fewer reported incidents between January and June of this year than in 2008.