Staffordshire Police have become one of the first forces in the UK to attach live-stream body cameras to their police dogs, giving handlers a real-time view of what the animals see and their exact location.
The new technology has been used by the force on three of their firearm support dogs across four incidents since being introduced. The cameras, the same model used by police officers, are attached to the dogs via a harness and stream a first-person video feed directly to handlers' mobile devices, alongside a GPS system to pinpoint the dog's position.
Handlers gain vital seconds
PC Craig Neeson, who looks after police dog Dan, said there had been "great feedback" so far, as it helped officers to see where the animals were "at all times". He said: "It just gives the handler those vital seconds or minutes to go and locate the dog and see what they're up to."
PC Neeson explained that no ready-made solution existed to meet their needs. "There wasn’t anything on the market that did what we needed it to do. Some of the military-style options were very expensive, so we worked with what we had and kept refining it until it was fit for purpose," he said.
Operational success and safety
PC Neeson said the team had to find a suitable position for the camera, given the speed at which the dogs move. "Obviously, the dogs are moving fast, so we needed to get the camera in a suitable position. We've got it right and it's working. We've had some operational success with it," he added.
Asked whether it was safer for both officers and dogs, PC Neeson said it 100% was, particularly for the dogs, remarking: "We know where the dog is at all times, we know what they're coming up against."
Part of wider technology investment
Earlier this year, the force became one of the first in the UK to roll out body armour for police dogs, to give them better protection against knives, bullets, spikes and impact from blunt objects.
Staffordshire Police said: "Firearms Support Dogs (FSD) are currently using the live streaming capability, helping officers during searches for suspects, missing people and other high-risk situations where understanding the environment quickly can make a real difference."
"But getting to this point took some creativity. There was no ready-made solution available that met operational needs, so officers began adapting and testing their own harness design. Using an existing tracking harness as the starting point, the team modified it through trial and error until they created something that worked safely and practically in operational settings."
"The result is a working solution that allows handlers to remain focused on controlling and supporting the dog while also being able to live stream what the dog sees to their hand-held mobility devices. This work forms part of the wider roll out of Axon Body 4 cameras capability across the force, alongside continued investment in technology policing, safety and investigations."
