Southland District Council staff will soon be wearing body cameras for some public activities.
The council adopted an amendment to its privacy policy which will enable the use of body-worn cameras to manage and mitigate health and safety risks faced by staff and the public.
The change has been made following two near-miss incidents that have occurred in the past 12 months while staff have been conducting site visits at private properties required in connection with their roles.
Chief executive Cameron McIntosh said health and safety reporting had identified customer anger and abuse towards council staff had increased.
"The safety of our staff is our first priority when they are required to interact with members of the public.
"This initiative will help to reduce the risk of abuse and harm and provide impartial evidence of any incidents that arise."
Mr McIntosh said bodycams would not be worn routinely during everyday business, but would be available for public-facing staff — such as those working in areas such as noise control and compliance — to use in situations where there was potential for conflict.
To implement the use of bodycams, the council had to first ensure it complied with the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015, the Privacy Act 2020 and its own privacy policy.
The cameras will be clearly identifiable when being worn, and staff will be required to verbally disclose that their camera is capturing video footage.
The council has bought 10 cameras for about $22,000 including software, licences and accessories.