Victoria Police announced on Thursday it would roll out the equipment to about 800 police at 59 stations by the end of the year.

The cameras are used to record video and audio evidence, and will be given to general duties and highway patrol police officers at the rank of sergeant and below.

The rollout comes after a successful trial in Ballarat and Epping.

Cameras will be first introduced at stations around the Ballarat area in September and October.

A further 28 stations – including three in the Wimmera – will receive the cameras by the end of the year.

Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Russell Barrett said the force expected the cameras to improve community and police safety, help evidence gathering, and increase police accountability.

“We evaluated the initial rollout of cameras to Ballarat and Epping police stations in April to test whether the technology was being used correctly and to determine any areas for improvement,” he said.

“We found that the camera usage policies, infrastructure and training for police had worked well and police were comfortable using the technology within their first one or two shifts.

“Footage captured by the cameras within a six-week period was instrumental in securing guilty pleas in at least four court cases, which is a great result for us.

“The community showed great interest in the cameras and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive.”

Victoria Police hopes to have every general duties officer and protective service officer equipped with a camera by 2020.

The state government last year introduced laws to ensure adequate protections are in place against unauthorised disclosure of footage collected with the cameras.

Police Minister Lisa Neville said the trial period led to quicker results through the court system, something the government expects will continue as the cameras are deployed to other areas.