Harrogate NightSafe Marshals are now wearing body cameras to help reduce the risk of violence in the town centre on a Friday and Saturday night.
The cameras are the same as the ones currently being worn by parking enforcement officers in the town and the hope is that, as with parking offences, members of the public who engage in violent or abusive behaviour will think twice when they realise that they are being recorded for both sound and vision.
The cameras will only be switched on should NightSafe Marshals find themselves in a situation which they believe could escalate into an incident of abuse. When activated, the camera will capture the previous thirty seconds to ensure that a full picture of the incident is recorded. The footage could then be used as evidence if the incident is taken further by the police. The council’s CCTV operators are responsible for downloading and storing data from any incident.
NightSafe Marshals patrol the centre of Harrogate on Friday and Saturday nights. They assist the police, door staff and CCTV operators in keeping the town centre safe.
Councillor Mike Chambers, Harrogate Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Safer Communities, said:
Harrogate has a thriving night time economy and we want to ensure that people enjoy their evening, but feel safe when they are out and about.
We know the NightSafe Marshals are seen as a vital service in the town centre and we hope that using these body cameras will enhance further the security of people in the town.
