PUBLIC order and assault crimes dropped in an area where all frontline police officers were issued with body-worn cameras, a Hampshire study showed.

The research, conducted by the University of Portsmouth and commissioned by Hampshire Constabulary, focused on crime rates on the Isle of Wight before and after the introduction of the cameras.

It comes after a man was jailed for three years for assaulting Sergeant Kerry Lawrence in Church Square, Basingstoke.

Footage from Sgt Lawrence’s body-worn video camera provided key evidence against Craig Radbourne, of Buckinghamshire, who admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm and was sentenced at Winchester Crown Court last month.

Hampshire Chief Constable Andy Marsh welcomed the report.

He said: “It underlines that the criminal justice system needs to modernise. We are working incredibly hard to be a world leader in digital policing, but it is crucial that we make sure that any new technology delivers real benefits for the public.”

The cameras were issued to all frontline officers on the Isle of Wight on July 1, 2013.

The study showed that some crimes, such as public order and assaults, dropped by 17.7 per cent after the introduction of the cameras, compared with a 14.7 per cent rise in the rest of Hampshire.

The number of complaints decreased on the Isle of Wight, by 15 per cent for lower level complaints, and by 11.5 per cent for more serious complaints.

The report also found members of the public had a higher confidence than officers that the cameras would reduce assaults on the police.

As reported in The Gazette, Simon Hayes, police and crime commissioner for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, has vowed that every police officer and police community support officer will receive a camera.

Over the next year, the number of cameras issued in Hampshire will increase from 500 to 2,800.