Body Cams – a deterrent to help stop the rise in violent attacks on our emergency workers

In a news story published by the BBC last week, it was reported that ambulance workers in England will shortly be equipped with body cameras after assaults against them went up by almost a third in five years.

There are a few different ways that bodycam technology can help protect our emergency workers.

  • Simply by having a visible body camera will act as a deterrent for some likely attackers
  • Assaults that are caught on camera can help to identify the attacker and bring them to justice
  • Bodycam footage can be used in court to help convict criminals and also avoid the distressing need in some cases for the victims to have to testify in person in the same room as their attacker

As the report by the BBC stated, more than 3,500 attacks on emergency care staff were recorded last year. The move was welcomed by staff trialling the cameras, some of whom had experienced violence on the job.

 

The NHS is expecting to make the equipment available to all 10 of England's ambulance trusts by the end of the month.

 

Gary Watson, who took part in the trial in the London Ambulance Service, was assaulted by a drunk patient in 2018, along with three of his colleagues. He tore ligaments, damaged his shoulder and received serious injuries to his face and neck.

 

Mr Watson believes the cameras could act as a deterrent. And, he said, if he'd had one when he was attacked three years ago, it would have saved him the stress of testifying against his attacker in court.

 

"Every time a job comes on the radio you think, 'Is it going to be another one of those jobs?' You just never know.

 

"All four members of staff got up for work that morning to help people - come in, do their job, care for people and then go home to their families. They didn't come in to... be hospitalised and end up with the after-effects of such violence," he said.

 

"When you see someone in uniform, you see the uniform, but obviously there's a person who is wearing it."

 

Chief people officer for NHS England Prerana Isaar said: "Every member of our dedicated and hardworking NHS staff has the fundamental right to be safe at work and it is our priority to eliminate violence and abuse, which we will not tolerate."

 

A law passed in 2018 gave judges the power to hand down more severe sentences to people who assault emergency workers on duty. NHS England said the camera would start recording at the touch of a button if members of the public became aggressive or abusive. Recordings can then be shared with the police and used in court as evidence.

 

At Foresolutions we’ve supplied Bodycams to a variety of different customers in many diverse sectors, however protecting our emergency workers has to be a priority and it’s amazing to see the NHS take this step. Whether you run a business where your staff are at risk from potential attacks or simply want to be able to rest assured that you are using the latest technology to monitor your workers and meet your own safety and compliance regulations, there is a wide range of body cameras that we can supply you on a hire or purchase model to meet your requirements.

 

For more information about our body worn cameras please visit our website and reach out to us for a quote.