Dartmoor Rangers get body cams for safety amid threats

The 11 Dartmoor Rangers' main role is to engage with the public but there are now concerns for their safety

Park rangers on Dartmoor will be equipped with body cameras amid concerns for their safety.

Verbal abuse of Dartmoor Rangers "appears to be increasing" and rangers have been flashed at, threatened with a mallet and chased, said a report.

A two-year trial at a cost of about £8,000 was unanimously approved at a meeting of the National Park Authority.

Rangers in the Lake District already use body cameras, with a "positive impact", the meeting heard.

Dartmoor is home to a huge range of wildlife including ponies

The 11 Dartmoor Rangers' main role is to "engage with the public, help people enjoy the National Park and look after it", said Neil White, head of organisational development at the park authority.

"In recent years our rangers have observed an increase in anti-social and hostile behaviour by some people," he said.

"This is a very small proportion of the many people who do enjoy Dartmoor but the verbal abuse of our staff appears to be increasing and, in addition, we have had rangers who have been 'flashed' at, threatened with a mallet and chased."

Dartmoor National Park covers 386 sq miles (1,000 sq km) of moorlands, forests, rivers and wetlands and is dotted with craggy granite tors - stony outcrops.

The park authority previously said levels of anti-social behaviour increased during the pandemic.

Mr White said: "It is not acceptable that rangers have been subject to abuse and feel threatened in certain situations.

"By equipping them with body-worn cameras we hope they will be able to work in a safer environment and the attitudes and behaviour of a small minority of the public will be modified."

Footage would be kept for 30 days "unless it was for an incident" and it could be shared with the police, said Mr White.

All footage would be "strictly controlled" by the authority's data protection officer and the Rangers team manager.