Police officers in New South Wales are being kitted out with body cameras that will allow them to record their interactions with the public and collect video evidence.

Officers within Sydney's eastern beaches will be the first to receive the cameras, with the so-called body worn video (BWV) devices attached to the front of their uniforms.

While the cameras constantly receive footage from the point-of-view of the officer, they must be manually switched to recording mode in order to capture that footage.

Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione said the cameras would keep both police, and the people they deal with, accountable.

"When people know that the incident is being recorded, they behave differently," he said.

He said the cameras would help officers to record interviews, incidents and gather audio and visual evidence.

"We know that it assists us in prosecutions when you actually have the footage," Commissioner Scipione said.

"There's an old saying that a picture is worth a thousand words, well, today high definition video is worth ten thousand words."

The footage recorded by the cameras is tamper-proof and will be downloaded into the secure police database and disposed of after seven years, in accordance with the State Records Act.

"It's secure, it's encrypted, and the footage that was on the camera is immediately erased," Mr Scipione said.

"It won't be sitting there in somebody's locker, these devices will not be personal issue, [the officer] will be accountable every time they are taken out of the station."

Acting Assistant Commissioner Steve Cullen said the cameras functioned almost like a "digital notebook" for officers.

"If they're going to record particulars in their notebook, then they should activate their camera," he said.

"At such times when they are satisfied the investigation and all the possible evidence that they can gather has been obtained, then they can deactivate the camera when the investigation is concluded."

Mr Cullen said the cameras would be worn overtly on the front of officers' uniforms, and, where practical, officers would also advise people they were being recorded.

The cameras would initially be issued to officers within the Eastern Beaches Local Area Command, The Police Transport Command and the Public Order and Riot squad.

They will eventually be rolled out to officers across the state.