Metropolitan Police begins rollout of Body Worn Video cameras

The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) on Monday started a large scale deployment of Body Worn Video (BVW) cameras which will be issued to over 22,000 police officers.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hoga-Howe and London Mayor Sadiq Khan witnessed the rollout out in Lewisham which came after trials and public consultations as well as academic evaluation, the MPS stated in a release.

Speaking on the occasion London Mayor Sadiq Khan lauded the rollout as a huge step towards bringing the police force into the 21st century encouraging trust and confidence.

He said, “as we roll them out across London, these cameras will make a real difference to officers, as they continue their great work on the frontline fighting crime and keeping our city safe."

The BWV cameras will be issued to officers in all 32 boroughs as well as to officers in frontline roles including the firearms officers.

The cameras have already proven to speed up justice for victims with an increase in domestic violence investigations where offenders have pleaded guilty knowing their actions were recorded by BWV cameras.

The technology will offer transparency for both officers and the public knowing the actions and audio are being recorded.

According to the MPS, footage recorded on BWV will be subject to legal safeguards. The video and audio is automatically uploaded to secure servers as soon as the device is docked and will be flagged for use as evidence in court or other legal proceedings. Video not flagged as evidence will automatically be deleted within 31 days the MPS release added.

Members of the public who wish to review footage recorded of them can do so through a written request under the freedom of information act, but the MPS warns that this should be done within 31 days – unless the footage has been flagged as evidence ad therefore retained for longer periods.

According to the MPS the cameras attached to the officer’s uniform will not always be recording. The officer will inform members of the public that they are being recorded as soon as practically possible, additionally the device sports a highly visible flashing red light and a constant beeping noise to indicate that the camera is recording.

Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe is confident that the cameras will prove useful.

"Video captures events in a way that can't be represented on paper in the same detail, a picture paints a thousand words, and it has been shown the mere presence of this type of video can often defuse potentially violent situations without the need for force to be used," the Commissioner said.

 

Ovais Jafar is a Multimedia Journalist, he tweets as @ovaisjafar