Tasmania Police will today issue the first body worn cameras to frontline police officers stationed in Hobart.

“Deploying the first body worn cameras to frontline officers is a significant step forward for Tasmania Police in terms of providing a safe working environment for our officers and delivering operational efficiencies,” said the Commissioner of Police, Darren Hine.

“As part of a staged rollout, today the first body worn cameras will become operational in Hobart. Over the coming months, the rollout will extend to other sections of Tasmania Police including Launceston, Devonport and Burnie Divisions.”

It is anticipated that the introduction of body worn cameras to frontline police officers will provide significant operational benefits across frontline policing, including:

• Improved safety to frontline officers by positively influencing the behaviour of people in custody.
• Providing an accurate record of events to resolve cases where drugs and/or alcohol may have impacted on the recollection of witnesses and offenders.
• Further enhancing the ability for police officers to gather quality timely evidence at incident scenes and from interactions with members of the public.
• Supporting successful prosecutions, including in cases of family violence, positively contributing towards the safety of the Tasmanian community and victims.
• A reduction in administrative burden for frontline police officers, particularly when handling digital evidence. This will allow police officers to focus on core policing functions which will positively contribute towards community safety.

An officer wearing a body worn camera will now have the ability to obtain timely audio visual evidence at an incident scene and later tender that footage as evidence. It’s anticipated that this will positively contribute toward guilty pleas and reduce the administrative burden on police and the courts.

“We are positive about the many benefits body worn cameras will bring to Tasmania Police and the Tasmanian community. The community can take comfort in the fact that the use of body worn cameras positively contributes towards the professionalism and accountability of police officers.”

Body worn cameras are highly visible to anyone interacting with a police officer, attached to the front of a police officer’s high-visibility vest. Police officers will record their attendance at all operational incidents in accordance with established policy and guidelines for the use of the devices.

The staged rollout of body worn cameras follows the announcement of government funding in 2017.