Nexus has issued customer service advisors on duty at local bus stations in Tyne and Wear with body-worn CCTV cameras, as part of an initiative to deter anti-social behaviour.
Metro Services Director, Chris Carson, says: “Overall crime rates on the bus network remain low, but we are stepping up to crackdown on anti-social behaviour and ticketless travel. The body-worn cameras provide a new tool in this fight.”
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Each camera is clearly marked on staff uniforms to let people know that they are being filmed.
Workers activate the recordings at the touch of a button. The footage can be accessed by Northumbria Police and the British Transport Police to support prosecutions.
Nexus staff will only turn cameras on when doing so could help prevent, or document, incidents. A red light will be visible on the front of the devices when video and audio is being recorded.
Other UK train operators are using body-worn CCTV cameras, but is the first time they have been permanently employed on the Tyne and Wear Metro.