Following a successful trial of ‘Body Worn Video’ (BWV) camera technology in 2013 and 2014, it was first supplied to frontline officers at Sydney’s Eastern Beaches in September 2015.

BWV is now being rolled out to more than 500 sites in metropolitan, regional and rural areas across the state.

The cameras, worn overtly on the officers’ uniform, are activated for use in operational policing to record incidents or events in real-time where visual and audio evidence will support an investigation.

Orana Mid-Western Police district Commander Superintendent Pete McKenna said the cameras will be a positive support and compliment other strategies to tackle crime.

“With millions of interactions between police and community members every year, the cameras will be an excellent tool to assist investigations by directly removing criminal behaviour and providing officers with a contemporaneous, unequivocal account of an incident.”

The ‘M-View Matrix’ camera records high-definition wide-view vision and high-quality audio, with a capability to take still photographs, record audio only and record in low-light situations.

The footage is encrypted and safely stored on the camera, and once downloaded onto the secure police database; all footage on the camera is erased.

Narromine Police Sergeant Michael Smith said the BWV will play an important part in their ongoing commitment to officer and community safety in the Narromine Police Sector.

“I want to reassure the community our officers have received training on the appropriate use of BWV and members of the public will be informed if the camera is in use,” Sergeant Smith said. 

More information about BWV is available to the community via the NSW Police Force website: www.police.nsw.gov.au.