Finding out you’ve received a parking penalty can be frustrating, but new technology is being used to make sure that frustration doesn’t tip over into violence.

Last year alone there were 172 recorded incidents of violence or intimidation towards Leeds City Council’s parking enforcement officers – a figure the council finds unacceptable.

So some officers are now policing the parking in Leeds with shoulder-mounted cameras on their jackets, designed to deter aggressive behaviour and ensure vital evidence of it is captured.

The council is using the 10 cameras in the areas with the highest number of incidents and, since they were introduced, there has so far been a 48% reduction in reported incidents compared with the same months last year.

The cameras are not on permanently – they are only switched on when the officer feels threatened. The footage is not used for any other purpose and the recordings are deleted every day unless they need to be kept for further action, such as a referral to police. Evidence from the cameras has been handed over to the police for further action on two occasions.

Leeds has previously seen three prosecutions for assault, all of which resulted in a conviction.

Councillor James Monaghan, Leeds City Council’s executive board member for environmental enforcement, said:
“The council considers the safety of its staff incredibly important and this is just a device to help them feel more secure when they’re out doing the job that they’re employed to do.
“They are just doing their jobs and deserve protection. These cameras are a last resort for problem areas in the city but I think they send out a strong message that physical abuse of our staff is unacceptable, regardless of people’s motivations.”