In keeping with the festive season, field staff at Cologne’s public order office have received a new eye-catching addition to their equipment – 10 body cameras will now ensure greater safety for staff. The cameras are already being tested in the city centre (Cathedral) by the relevant service group. Before being deployed, the employees were thoroughly trained in the use of the cameras. In the coming weeks, a further 13 employees will be instructed in the use and handling of the body cameras. And the initial reactions to the cameras have been positive: their calming and de-escalating effect has already been praised. During their training, employees were also specifically trained in de-escalation techniques to defuse conflicts with the help of the cameras. The bodycams will also be in use during the carnival days – not only in the cathedral area, but at all “hot spots” in the city. The pilot phase will last a total of six months. In addition to the NetCo body cam, other models will also be tested. After the test phase and a subsequent evaluation, a decision will be made as to whether the body cam will continue to be used by the field staff of Cologne’s public order office. The city of Cologne attaches great importance to a well-designed technical infrastructure. The ability to store recorded body cam data in the municipal IT network is important in order to avoid security gaps. ## KVB also benefits from body cams In addition to the city of Cologne, field staff at Kölner Verkehrsbetriebe (KVB) were also equipped with NetCo body cams after a successful pilot phase. The cameras have been in use in the areas of service, security and ticket inspection since the beginning of 2022, protecting both passengers and employees from assaults. The experience with the bodycams speaks for itself here too. According to a KVB spokeswoman, the cameras have a “de-escalating effect and are (…) a suitable means of reducing violence against employees and passengers.” (Source: Pilot project starts in Cologne: Public order office tests bodycams – Rundschau Online (rundschau-online.de)).
Cologne Transport Authority Find out more about the use of bodycams at Cologne Transport Authority here! Get a free consultation ## Further references:
### Deutsche Bahn
Find out more about the use of body cameras by security personnel at Deutsche Bahn AG here! 