To receive a presentation on Body Worn Cameras from Inspector Alun Davies.

The presentation will be tabled on the night of the meeting.

Inspector Alun Davies provided a presentation on Born Worn Video (BWV) that will be used by police across London. The following key points were highlighted during the presentation:

1.    Since 17 October 2016, a trial of BWV has been run in London with 10 boroughs provided with BWV.   22,000 officers in London will be provided with BWV as part of the rollout which starts in December 2016 National and local coverage and a dedicated page on the Met Police website have provided members of the public with information on BWV.

2.    The cameras will allow police to provide the best evidence of police encounters as the video can capture events as they happen. The cameras will also hopefully defuse high tension situations as people will be aware they are being recorded and this can be used as evidence.

3.    BWV will provide greater transparency and accountability of policing which in turn will improve the investigation of complaints against officers and public opinion.

4.    10 boroughs across London trialled the use of BWV. During the trial two out of five response teams in each borough were provided with camera. During this period there was a 33% reduction in police complaints.

5.    The camera is a robust part of the officer’s kit which allows 12 hours of recording. Once turned on the camera will retain and record footage from 30 seconds prior to activation until it is turned off again.

6.    The camera is to be worn overtly and it will be mandatory for officers to record during a number of encounters. Officers will be required to state when a recording is starting and when a recording will end wherever practical.

7.    Footage will be deleted after 31 days unless required for evidence, disclosure or other policing purpose and will be unable to be edited or deleted.

The following questions were taken by members of the board:

Q) Will anyone be checking the cameras routinely?

A) If the camera does not contain evidence then it will not be checked. If the camera does contain evidence, the camera is docked and the footage is retained for 31 days.

Q) How will each camera be linked to the officer?

A) Cameras will be personal issue and not a shared resource.

Q) Will cameras be issued to all officers?

A) Funds have been allocated to all uniformed officers in the borough for the use of BWV.

Q) Do the cameras have a tracking device in them in case they are lost or stolen? Concerns were raised as a person may be more inclined to steal the cameras if they knew they contained footage of them.

A) Inspector Davies informed the panel he was not aware if they did but would look into the issue and report back to the Board.

Q) Will there be a review on the use of Cameras?

A) The use of BWV will be done in two phases. Enfield will be in the second phases which will start in the first quarter of 2017. The learning and best practise from phase 1 will be shared with officers across London.