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Traffic wardens get body cameras to save them from abuse

Traffic wardens will patrol the streets wearing body cameras to protect them from being abused by irate motorists.

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Sandwell Council has spent more than £17,000 on introducing 23 'video badges' after 48 of its traffic enforcement officers faced physical and verbal abuse over the past two years.

Bosses hope the cameras, which are held on the uniform by a harness and can capture both video and sound in high definition, will help to reduce the number of incidents where wardens are attacked.

The decision to equip officers with cameras came after 26 reports of physical abuse were received between April 2014 to March 2015, along with 22 reports from April 2015 to March 2016.

Wardens can only use the cameras when they feel threatened, or just before a ticket is issued.

Thelocal authority has around 25 civil enforcement officers who have responsibility for on street and off-street parking areas across the borough.

They issue Penalty Charge Notices (PCN's) for breaches of parking regulations, issued under he civil justice system.

A Sandwell Council spokesperson said: "We have 23 cameras.

"The cost, including annual licence fees, is £17,381 in total.

"The cameras are visible on the officer on a harness on their chest with a logo display card."

Councillor David Hosell, Cabinet member for highways and environment, said

the cameras would hopefully act as a deterrent.

He said: "They do encounter aggressive verbal and physical abuse and as a result video badges were introduced to provide an additional safeguard for the officers' safety and also to act as a deterrent for potential abuse.

"We have 25 Civil Enforcement Officers plus two supervisors and 19 are deployed at any one time – during core hours.

"They operate seven days a week, including Bank Holidays, except Christmas and New Year's Day.

The cameras can capture images close up, including audio recording to allow officers to maintain the use of their hands and enforcement equipment while recording an incident.

They can also provide evidence to support complaints and investigation of allegations of inappropriate conduct by traffic wardens themselves.

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