UK grocery chain equips security officers with body cameras
London England July 18 2018
Asda, a chain of grocery stores, has equipped its security guards with body-worn cameras to help protect them from violent and abusive members of the public.
Security guards will wear the cameras around their neck like a lanyard in hopes of warding off physically and verbally aggressive customers and passersby, and to capture on film those who are undeterred by the cameras.
The wording on the guards’ lanyards reads: “Video and audio recording for safety and security”
Asda security guards seek protection Asda is the first supermarket chain in the UK to take the step of issuing security personnel with CCTV equipment to help protect them from abuse.
While the move is likely to alarm some privacy campaigners, it has been welcomed by unions representing supermarket and shop workers.
Around 265 retail staff are violently attacked every day, with many more threatened and verbally abused, according to the the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers.
“Recent reports from the British Retail Consortium, Association of Convenience Stores and police recorded crime figures all agree with our findings that abuse of retail staff is getting worse,” said Usdaw General Secretary, Paddy Lillis.
Over half (56 per cent) of shop workers who experienced violence, threats or abuse at work did not report the incident to their employer, including the 22 per cent who were physically attacked, a 2017 survey by Usdaw found.
‘Abuse is not part of the job’ “Sometimes staff don’t feel it would make any difference if they do report incidents or [believe] that it’s just a part of being in a frontline job, dealing with the public and the problems that sometimes throws up.
Our message to shopworkers is very clear: abuse is not a part of the job,” Mr Lillis said. “There is no doubt that body-worn cameras do have a deterrent effect and we are very supportive of such measures aimed at reducing violence, threats and abuse at work,” he added.
An Asda spokesperson said: “We’ve approached this thoughtfully over a number of years, constantly talking to our customers and colleagues. We’re grateful for their feedback and with the results so far.”
The cameras will not be turned on all the time. Instead, staff may switch them on and off at their own discretion.
