Cumbria’s police dogs have got tactical with new bodycams designed to assist officers during investigations.
Cumbria Constabulary has been working with North East-based drone-designer Heliguy to develop a tactical head mounted dog camera, and it is now finished and ready to by deployed.
The force has trialled the bodycams for several months and said they would transform firearms situations and become an important tool during active operations.
While similar devices have been made overseas, Heliguy said building them in the UK suited the demands of UK police forces and addressed the limitations found in alternative models.
Inspector Kim Brown, from Cumbria Constabulary police dog unit, said: “We are pleased to have been able to work in collaboration with Heliguy to create a camera that will help improve our policing response.
“The camera will help support colleagues during operations allowing us to give them a real-time view of what the police dog is seeing and to gather evidence. This allows officers to plan before entering a live incident to ensure the safety of the public, officers and police dog.”
The cameras have specific features to make them better for policing, including a battery life lasting up to four hours, image timestamping and improved integration with police computer systems.
Weighing only one kilogram, the camera and helmet have been designed to be comfortable for the dog to wear, while providing enough support to keep the camera steady.
The protective lenses over the dogs’ eyes can also be switched for sunglasses for use in all weather conditions.
Ross Embleton, lead product designer at Heliguy, said: “We are delighted that the dog cam will help Cumbria Constabulary in its firearms operations.”
