A body worn video device is a camera that staff can attach to their clothing. Cameras should be capable of recording at a high quality – high enough to be used as evidence. Body worn video originated in the United Kingdom, is growing in the United States and New Zealand and is now being adopted by SPS in Cape Town.
Street Parking Solutions (SPS), Cape Town, has introduced fifteen body worn video devices to be worn by its parking marshals. Zunade Loghdey, manager of SPS, researched many surveillance methods before settling on a body worn video solution.
The cameras bought by SPS are portable and record audio as well as video. This means that footage follows an incident.
Loghdey, manager of SPS, employs 200 parking marshals who operate in the Central Business District of Cape Town. Each marshal manages fifteen parking spaces, so they encounter many customers during their day. Loghdey bought fifteen cameras from Reveal Media, a leading UK body worn video supplier. One of the reasons he bought the body worn cameras was to monitor staff’s behaviour and progress. He also bought them because they act as a deterrent to angry motorists; Loghdey’s staff can use the cameras to record any abuse they receive.
Loghdey also bought a data management Kiosk from Reveal Media. The CARMA KIOSK is loaded with a programme, CARMA, which automatically manages material. The software is easy to use, secure, and saves time in back office organisation.
Loghdey researched many methods of surveillance before choosing to buy from Reveal Media. He chose this company because their cameras are easy to use and the units are self contained within a hardy leather case.
A serious factor in Loghdey’s decision to buy this particular body worn camera, the CARMACAM RS2, was the presence of a screen on the front of the camera. It shows the public what the camera lens sees or records. The “screen shown to motorists or perpetrators is a great deterrent,” said Loghdey. “Our municipal Police absolutely loved it.” He noted they were particularly pleased with the cameras’ light weight and the evidence monitoring software that comes with the Kiosk.
Loghdey monitored motorists’ reactions to parking marshals and the cameras’ effect on how professionally and effectively marshals worked. “There has a 100% improvement on all fronts.” Loghdey said after only using the cameras for two weeks. “I believe strongly that these cameras will be a major boost all round to my business going forward.”
Reveal Media, the UK-based company that supplied the cameras says, “We are delighted that Street Parking Services has already seen the enormous benefits that body worn video systems can bring to lone worker safety and productivity.”
Nigeria which was as at 2007 the safest place in Africa is currently in 4th place following South Africa in terms of security and safety, effort are now been geared up due to recent bombings in keys areas of the country, the policy makers are now in discussion on how to introduce in addition to other safety measures in place coupled with implementation of video surveillance in strategic places and allow the use of body camera to be given to security and parking operatives in helping combating crimes. This they say will help in fighting crimes and protects lives and acts as deterrent to the religious activists.
Egypt and Ghana have since beef up their security and safety measures in reducing crimes in their various cities and they share both the first and second place respectively. The least African Countries in terms of security and safety are Sudan and Somalia.
Credit: Classified
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