For those of you prone to flying into a fit of rage upon receiving a parking fine, it might be time to enrol in anger management classes. City of Sydney rangers are sending a clear message that it's time for Sydneysiders to start behaving themselves – or risk having it all caught on camera.
Over the next few months, a number of rangers will trial body cameras attached to their work vests in an effort to stem the verbal and physical abuse directed at them daily.
The cameras will run on a 30-second loop, but can be activated to continuous recording if a ranger feels threatened. They will not record sound, due to strict voice recording laws, and people will be informed they are being filmed.
In addition to acting as a deterrent, footage captured will be retained for possible future use as evidence.
With a recent NSW Police trial of body cameras showing a positive impact on behaviour, the City of Sydney is hopeful its trial will slash the incidence of abuse directed toward its rangers. Two hundred verbal and 67 physical assault cases were reported over the past five years, according to Lord Mayor Clover Moore, and a recent survey has shown many rangers believe aggression and violence are on the increase. City rangers issued 1697 infringement notices in 2013-14.
A body cam looking you square in the eye will, no doubt, conjure a subconscious urge to be more polite. But the effect appears to go both ways: the police trial also found body cameras improved police behaviour.
