News from Orkney Islands Council
Car park attendants in Orkney are trialling the use of personal video cameras as a safety measure.
They have been equipped with ‘body-worn cameras’, which have been shown elsewhere in the UK to reduce incidents of verbal and physical abuse.
The cameras are usually switched off, but can be activated in situations where an attendant’s safety may be at risk.
The video and audio they record is encrypted and stored on the device and then transferred to a dedicated storage system, where it is kept for a limited period of time, unless required later as evidence. The cameras and storage system are designed to be tamper-proof.
Darren Richardson, Orkney Islands Council’s Head of Infrastructure and Strategic Projects said:
“By and large, our car park attendants receive a polite, friendly and courteous reception as they go about their work.
“That’s exactly what you’d expect in our community. But there have been incidents when attendants have experienced abusive or threatening behaviour.
“We want to deter behaviour of this kind and body-worn cameras – which can record an incident as it happens – have a good track record in helping to do this. That’s why we are trying out this technology as a way to improve the personal safety of our attendants.”
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What concerns me about this is….sometimes, if a thing is perceived as being so, it becomes so.
If the idea is there, that car park attendants are insulted, then car park attendants will begin to be insulted. We are a very suggestible species, and, unfortunately, this kind of cause and effect, does happen.
I do find it hard to believe that this happens in Orkney, as Orcadians don’t tend to put up with abuse and know how to deal with it – usually with great wit.
If this is a Council initiative – couldn’t that money go on other things, including things which really do effect safety such as the safety and well-being of old people in sheltered accomodation?