Medium Cost Interventions
5. Recording lanyards / lapel cameras
Wearable devices to capture audio and video in real-time, documenting interractions and deterring violence via accountability and visibility. Useful for evidence collection improvement, increasing reporting and documentation of VAWG incidents, and building trust in safety programmes. Gives power back to women, where evidence collection is often the hardest part of reporting VAWG, and the reason for successful conviction rates being low. Should be used in tandem with a safety device, as does not ensure safety itself. It should be noted that it is not legal to record individuals without their consent in private places, or in ublic spaces that feel private (i.e. doctor's surgeries).
Basic lapel cams £8-£150 per unit
Mid-range models (HD, night vision, encryption) £200-£400
High-end models (live-straming, GPS, cloud sync) £500-£1,000
Mounting and accessories £10-£30 per unit
Cloud storage £0-£75 per user/month
Management software £1000-£5000 per annum
Training & policy development £2-£5,000 (initial setup)
Legal & privacy compliance £1-£3,000 (consultation, policy drafting)
Community awareness campaigns £1-£3,000
Total (100 unit rollout) £15-£50,000
Procurement & policy setup 2-4 weeks
Installation & configuration 1-3 weeks
Training & community engagement 2-3 weeks
Total 5-10 weeks
Device replacement (10-20%) £2-£5,000
Software licensing & cloud storage £300-£900 per user/year
Technical support & updates £1-£3,000
Policy review & training refreshers £1-£2,000
Total £4,300-£10,900
Lifespan 2-4 year per device.
Effectiveness
A randomised research trial of high-risk Domestic Violence survivors showed that audio recordingcan result in a 57% increase in charges for offenders. Video recording will serve to further improve this. While this solution might not deter, it will support in gathering evidence. The Home Office states that interventions that improve reporting and evidence quality are part of effective system-wide strategies. However, these are not stand-alone solutions.