Police officers in Dumfries & Galloway start using body-worn video cameras
Technology aims to improve public trust, officer safety and judicial processes.
Police Scotland has started rolling out body-worn video cameras across Dumfries & Galloway today (Tuesday, 20th January), with around 250 officers, including road policing officers, dog handlers, and custody staff, set to receive the devices in the coming weeks.
The cameras aim to help de-escalate situations, improve public trust in policing, reduce complaints, enhance officer and staff safety, and provide wider benefits for the criminal justice system.
Since the technology was introduced nationally in March 2025, over 400,000 recordings have been captured. Police Scotland has uploaded almost 91,000 hours of footage, exporting over 27,000 media files to its Digital Evidence Sharing Capability (DESC) system.
Chief Constable Jo Farrell, who took leadership in October 2023, has made body-worn videos a priority.
Dumfries & Galloway Local Commander, Chief Superintendent Steven Meikle, highlighted the benefits, saying:
“The national rollout of body-worn video cameras is a key priority for us and is one of the ways that we can work towards our vision of safer communities and less crime.
“The cameras and technology will improve the quality of evidence presented in court to deliver faster justice for victims by increasing early guilty pleas and reducing the time spent at court for victims, witnesses and police officers.
“Body-worn video can significantly enhance public confidence and support officer and public safety by providing effective and transparent evidence of police and public interactions.
"There is strong public and partner support for body-worn video, and we will continue to explain our use of this important technology, including assurance around data privacy and human rights considerations.”
Every frontline uniformed police officer, including Special Constables, will be required to wear a video camera on their uniform while on duty. The devices will be activated during police operations, including stop and searches, arrests, or when executing search warrants.
Police staff working in custody suites are also equipped with cameras for interactions with people in custody.
Footage recorded by the devices will be uploaded to secure police systems and reviewed for evidence purposes by legal authorities. The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) will assess its competency on a case-by-case basis. This process complements existing protocols and does not replace them.
Despite the roll-out, Police Scotland has confirmed that body-worn video cameras are not a measure to encourage solo officer deployments nor to alter existing policing models.
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