CRIMEFIGHTERS in North Yorkshire have added a new weapon to their arsenal - digital cameras.
Safer Ryedale, the community safety partnership, has bought 16 cameras and additional equipment.
They are being issued to individual neighbourhood beat officers and community support officers to use while out patrolling.
Area police commander Inspector Neil Burnett said the versatility of the cameras meant they will be useful in a variety of ways.
"They will help officers capture fresh and valuable evidence as they go about their duties," he said.
"They can take images of vandalism or gather intelligence which we can use in prosecutions or to help convict criminals."
PC Terry Triffitt, from Safer Ryedale, said funding for the cameras had come from the Home Office's anti-social behaviour budget.
He added: "These cameras will be used overtly, not secretly. By having the ability to capture what could be critical evidence before it is lost, we hope to improve the rates of solving crimes as quickly as possible."
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