British Transport Police started a wider trial of body worn video cameras in some areas of the country in May 2015. The cameras are worn on the uniform and designed to capture images and sound from interactions with the public where an evidential record may be needed. They don’t replace conventional forms of recording evidence, but can support them.
Officers based out of main rail terminals in central London, Leeds, Leicester, Glasgow and Edinburgh are trialling 250 cameras. To store body worn video BTP is using the cloud, accessed over the internet. BTP points to:
Improved conduct by officers and members of the public
Increased police accountability and transparency
Fewer disputes over the circumstances of an incident, leading to more prosecutions and early guilty pleas
Opportunities to capture more evidence immediately and speed up the prosecution process
Fewer complaints from the public and opportunities to use footage in officer training
However, the force adds, some people may have concerns over privacy and how the data is stored. We have prepared a Privacy Impact Assessment, which identifies potential concerns and risks, outlines what we plan to do to address those issues and how we would comply with privacy and data protection legislation.
BTP asks for views about officers wearing body worn video cameras and handling and storing of recordings; by Wednesday, September 30, 2015. Email: [email protected]
