Table of contents * Body-Cam use by municipal law enforcement agencies: Is it worth the investment? * Key takeaways * Violence against emergency services: Why local authorities must take action
- Learning from the police: Body-Cams as a proven tool * Body-Cam cost-benefit ratio: Prevention pays off
- The benefits: de-escalation and preservation of evidence * The costs: transparent calculation for treasurers * Body-Cams in public order offices: technology and legal requirements * Pre-recording function
- Legal requirements * Technical features of modern body-cams * Local authorities in North Rhine-Westphalia: an overview of successful body-cam projects * Background: violence against law enforcement officers in figures
- Conclusion: Body-Cams as a sensible investment in municipal security # Body-Cam use by municipal law enforcement agencies: Is it worth the investment? ## Key takeaways * ✓ De-escalating effect: Studies and experience reports from numerous German municipalities show that the visible presence of a body-cam alone can defuse conflicts.
- ✓ Calculable cost structure: In addition to the purchase price, data storage, software licences and training must be taken into account in budget planning.
- ✓ Legal certainty: Use is subject to clear data protection regulations. Modern systems meet the requirements of the GDPR. * ✓ Municipal use: More and more cities and municipalities in North Rhine-Westphalia and nationwide are equipping their law enforcement agencies with body-cams – with predominantly positive experiences.
Violence against emergency services: Why local authorities must take action Violence against emergency services has increased significantly in Germany in recent years and reached a new high. According to the latest federal report from the Federal Criminal Police Office, a total of 46,367 violent crimes against police officers were recorded in 2024. Compared to 2015, this represents an increase of 38.5 per cent. The figures make it clear that assaults are no longer a marginal phenomenon, but occur regularly in everyday operations. This development does not only affect the police. Municipal law enforcement agencies and enforcement officers are also increasingly affected by verbal threats, insults and physical attacks. Public order office employees perform tasks such as traffic monitoring, checking for parking violations, punishing disturbances of the peace and mediating conflicts in public spaces. In doing so, they often act without the visible authority of a police uniform and are therefore particularly exposed to the risk of escalation. In a municipal context in particular, conflict situations often arise spontaneously and in emotionally charged moments. Alcohol, group dynamics or frustration with regulatory measures increase the likelihood of aggressive behaviour. Cities and municipalities are therefore increasingly faced with the question of how to effectively protect their employees without undermining public trust. Against this backdrop, body-cams are becoming a preventive tool in municipal security concepts. The aim is not to monitor everything, but to de-escalate situations at an early stage, create transparency and protect emergency services from assaults and unfounded accusations. The increasing level of violence makes it clear that local authorities must take action to improve the safety of their employees in public spaces in the long term. ## Learning from the police: body-cams as a proven tool
The police in Germany have been using body-cams successfully for several years. Deutsche Bahn also equipped its security personnel with this technology at an early stage. The experience is clear: the visible camera has a preventive and de-escalating effect. Municipal law enforcement agencies are increasingly following suit. In North Rhine-Westphalia, numerous cities have introduced body-cams for their law enforcement officers and unanimously report positive effects.
The city of Krefeld has equipped municipal law enforcement officers with body-cams. This decision was based on the positive experiences of the local police. ## Body-Cam cost-benefit ratio: prevention pays off ### The benefits: de-escalation and preservation of evidence The greatest added value of using body-cams lies in their de-escalating effect. In many cases, the statement “I am now turning on the camera” leads to an immediate calming of the situation. The awareness of being recorded significantly lowers the inhibition threshold for aggressive behaviour. Since 2024, the Cologne Public Order Office has been using body-cams in the city centre. People who are addressed react noticeably more calmly as soon as the camera is activated.
After a trial phase, around 30 field staff were equipped with body-cams. > “By purchasing body-cams, we hope to have an additional measure in place to prevent verbal and physical attacks against our employees.” > Steffen Franzkowski, Head of Department > “So far, the feedback from our officers in their daily use of the cameras has been consistently positive.”
Frank van Staa, Duisburg Citizens’ and Public Order Office ### The costs: transparent calculation for treasurers A single body-cam system costs between 400 and 900 euros, depending on the model. For realistic budget planning, other cost factors should be taken into account: | Cost factor | Order of magnitude | Note | | --- | --- | --- | | Hardware (purchase) | €900–1,500 | Camera, SmartHubs, mounts, batteries | | Software & licences | €150–300 / year | Administration, encryption, updates | | Storage & server | variable | Cloud or on-premise solution | | Training | approx. £170 per employee | Technology and legal basics | In addition to purchasing, many providers also offer rental or leasing models, which allow for flexible budget planning. After a twelve-month pilot phase, 30 body-cams were permanently introduced. ## Body-Cams in the public order office: technology and legal requirements ### Pre-recording function
Body-Cams do not record continuously. Modern systems have a pre-recording function that stores the last 10 to 120 seconds before activation in order to document the beginning of an escalation. ### Legal requirements The camera may only be switched on if there is a specific danger to life and limb or if a criminal offence is imminent. Clear deletion periods and purpose restrictions apply to the recordings, for example for the preservation of evidence or for criminal proceedings. ### Technical features of modern body-cams * ✓ Front display with mirror function to promote de-escalation * ✓ Intuitive operation even in stressful situations * ✓ Robust housing for field service
- ✓ Long battery life for shift operation ## Local authorities in North Rhine-Westphalia: an overview of successful body-cam projects | Local authority | Start of operation | Area of operation | | --- | --- | --- | | Cologne | 2024 | City centre and suburbs | | Duisburg | 2022 | Citizens’ and Public Order Office | | Hamm | 2023 | Municipal public order service | | Leverkusen | 2024 | City public order service | | Münster | 2023 | District public order service | | Krefeld | 2023 | Municipal public order service | | Bochum | 2023 | Prevention | | Moers | 2023 | Traffic monitoring | | Witten | 2023 | Field service | | Herne | 2023 | Pilot project | | Siegburg | 2023 | Practical test | ## Background: Violence against law enforcement officers in figures | Key figure | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Acts of violence against police officers 2024 | 46,367 | BKA | | Increase since 2015 | +38.5% | BKA | | Emergency services personnel affected 2024 | 111,496 | BMI | | Public officials affected by hate and incitement | 34% | KoMo | | Proportion of violent crimes in large cities | 31.1% | BKA | ## Conclusion: Body-Cams as a sensible investment in municipal security Experience from municipalities in North Rhine-Westphalia clearly shows that body-cams offer measurable added value for municipal law enforcement agencies. They have a de-escalating effect, protect employees from assaults and enable legally secure preservation of evidence.
The costs are transparent and calculable, pilot projects reduce investment risks, and flexible procurement models facilitate implementation. In view of increasing violence in public spaces, body-cams are a contemporary and professional tool for local authorities.