In many places, public order offices and municipal public order services (KOD) support the police in inner cities and make an important contribution to ensuring that people can feel comfortable and safe in public. However, especially during the coronavirus crisis, municipal law enforcement officers are increasingly exposed to hostility and violence. The increasingly dramatic attacks have prompted the state parliament in North Rhine-Westphalia to make a fundamental decision on the direction to take. ## Amendment to the Public Order Act Back in June, the state parliament passed an amendment to the North Rhine-Westphalia Public Order Act (printed paper number 17/11622). With this draft, the state government is implementing a key demand of the North Rhine-Westphalia coalition: it provides cities and municipalities in North Rhine-Westphalia with a legal basis for using body cameras for their municipal law enforcement officers and cameras in patrol cars belonging to law enforcement agencies. The cameras serve to secure evidence and also have a deterrent and de-escalating effect. 

 Our spokesperson for internal affairs, Christos Katzidis, explains: “This is a milestone in strengthening municipal security responsibilities and, above all, the safety of our municipal law enforcement officers. It is our duty to protect those who protect us – and, in addition to the police, who already have body-cams, this includes our law enforcement services. Alongside the police, local authorities are an indispensable pillar of public order and security policy in North Rhine-Westphalia, as they are primarily responsible for hazard prevention.” ## The body cam for municipal security NetCo has developed a body cam that provides optimal support and protection for public order officers in their daily work. The body cam documents and preserves evidence of conflict and dangerous situations. The conspicuous front display has been proven to help calm and de-escalate situations, thereby increasing safety in public spaces. We not only provide public order authorities with a one-stop service for body cams, but also offer them first-class support: we are always on hand to answer any organisational, technical or legal questions.