A disturbing rise in incidents of abuse against British pharmacy staff has seen the Boots chain issue body cameras at over 60 branches across the country, according to a report in British trade paper Chemist Druggist.
The company has confirmed it started trialling the cameras at the beginning of the year, initially in Birmingham but now also in Sheffield and Rotherham.
A rollout to other locations is under way, with a Boots spokesperson quoted as saying "like other retailers, we are concerned about the increasing problem of violence and abuse experienced by hundreds of thousands of retail workers, which has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic".
Staff at the branches have the option of wearing the cameras, and turn them on if they experience a "difficult interaction with a member of the public, who they inform of the body cam's recording".
Boots said the initiative had been "hugely successful in de-escalating issues as they arise," with team members saying they feel safer and more confident when wearing them.
Boots also monitors CCTV from its branches at a new HQ facility staffed by 20 security officers.
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