Body Worn Video

Following a successful trial in 2013 the States of Jersey Police have been wearing body-worn video cameras.

The body-worn video cameras are to provide a deterrent against anti-social behaviour and other incidents, and provide us with a way to gather evidence for the courts.

How the cameras are used

The body-worn video (BWV) cameras have helped reduce crime by:

Acting as a robust deterrent
Detecting crime
Prosecuting more people efficiently: the footage is used as evidence in court
Helping officers to identify suspects: video footage can be used in media appeals
Resulting in officers spending less time in court and on paperwork, and more time out in the community
Aiding community engagement.

BWV footage has been used to provide stronger evidence in court which, in turn, increases guilty pleas and helps secure stronger sentences.

Improving policing and deterring crime

Inspector Sarah Henderson, who led the Body Worn Video (BWV) project, said: “The use of body worn cameras has been common place in the UK for many years and it is something we can benefit from here.

“It provides independent evidence to support the prosecution of offenders, deters anti-social behaviour and ultimately improves community safety.

“Showing offender’s footage of their behaviour, whether via CCTV or on a BWV can often lead to them pleading guilty at an early stage and that has many effects – it means officers do not need to spend so long putting a case together, it means the court process in quicker and that ultimately results in less of a cost to the taxpayer.”

Body Worn Video Policy