By 
Following last week’s assault on a dog warden on St Anne’s beach Fylde Council enforcement staff could very soon be equipped with body cameras to assist in their work. This fast tracking of the possible purchase of body cameras follows an incident during which a Fylde Council Warden was badly bruised following a physical attack in the seasonal dog exclusion zone on the morning of Friday, May 29th. Two men are currently being sought after the attack which left the warden with facial injuries.
This violence on one of its officers has encouraged Fylde Council to fast-track the initial risk assessments and accelerate the decision making process regarding body cameras during this week’s virtual meeting of the Council’s Operational Management Committee.
Councillor Roger Small, Chairman of the Operational Management Committee, said: ‘Following the unprovoked assault on our dog warden, we have moved quickly to look to introduce body cams for our staff who may come into contact with the public in challenging circumstances. We will not tolerate anti-social behaviour and will actively prosecute persons engaged in illegal activities. This will aid our staff going about their roles.’
The Council has indicated that there has been an increase in incidents which it feels would have been less confrontational if body cameras had been deployed to reassure not only employees but also the public.
Meanwhile, the assault on the warden, which occurred around 9.30am on May 29, remains under police investigation. Anyone who can help is asked to call the Council on 01253 658658, email listening@fylde.gov.uk or call police on 101 quoting reference LC 20200529-0404.
