Ayrshire Divisional Commander believes body-cams for cops will reduce assaults

AYRSHIRE'S top cop believes the introduction of body-worn video for police officers is not an instant fix - but will ultimately help cut down assaults on them. The new technology, which sees cameras attached to officers, was introduced for Ayrshire in January. At a recent meeting of the North Ayrshire Police and Fire and Rescue Committee, Arran councillor Charles Currie asked if the new technology had reduced attacks on officers. Divisional Commander Chief Superintendent Conrad Trickett said: 'Having worked as part of the roll-out team for body-worn video, it is one of the aspirational business benefits, as we are talking about behaviour from members of the public. Divisional Commander Chief Superintendent Conrad Trickett (Image: Police Scotland) 'We hope to see a downturn in police assaults in the fullness of time, once police officers are more used to using the equipment and when the public recognise their actions are being recorded all the time and it starts to impact on a behaviour change. "You will realise how challenging that flow is going to be to come to fruition. 'We also felt there would likely be an increase in recorded police assaults in the immediate advent of body-worn video because of the confidence of officers that they have captured it. "Quite often in a violent confrontation, officers don't realise what has happened to them until after and control is made of the subject at that point. 'Now it is recorded, police officers are able to evidence what has happened to them. 'There was always a thought that the number of police assaults would go up in the immediate aftermath of body-worn video, but what we are not able to do is to say when we will see that shift in behaviour of the public and there is a plateauing out of police assaults. 'I suspect we will see that happen but it will be over a longer period of time before we see any substantial change."