1
Smile you’re on body
worn camera
Part II - Police
The use of body worn cameras by UK police forces
A Big Brother Watch Report
August 2017
2
Contents
Executive Summary ................................................................................................................................. 3
Key Findings ............................................................................................................................................ 4
Tables ...................................................................................................................................................... 5
Chapter 1: Have body worn cameras been proven to be effective? ...................................................... 7
Chapter 2: Has footage from body worn cameras been effective as evidence in court or in securing
early guilty pleas? ................................................................................................................................... 9
Chapter 3: When are body worn cameras switched on?...................................................................... 10
Chapter 4: Data protection and security of footage ............................................................................. 12
Chapter 5: Oversight ............................................................................................................................. 13
Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................. 15
Recommendations ................................................................................................................................ 16
Appendix 1: Technical Specifications .................................................................................................... 17
Appendix 2: Full Police Force Breakdown ............................................................................................. 18
Appendix 3: Methodology .................................................................................................................... 25
Appendix 4: Original FOI Request ......................................................................................................... 26
About Big Brother Watch ...................................................................................................................... 27
3
Executive Summary
Smile you’re on Body Worn Camera Part II - Police reveals for the first time the investment police in
the UK have made in equipping frontline officers with body worn cameras.
Since 2010 the police, Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and politicians have enthusiastically
promoted the roll out of body worn cameras.
The public have been told the technology is a critical tool in reducing violence against officers,
improving transparency in police/public relations, assisting the police with the number of guilty
pleas they obtain and will play an essential role in speeding up justice by being used as evidence in
court.
Off the back of such enthusiasm we felt it necessary to investigate how many police forces had
invested in the technology, how many cameras were being used by frontline staff and if the benefits
lived up to the promises promulgated by the various groups.
Responses to our Freedom of Information request reveals that 71% have adopted the technology,
with a total spend of £22,703,235 on 47,922 body worn cameras. This is a huge increase from 2010
when the police told us in response to a Freedom of Information request that they had spent
£2.2million on 2,843 cameras.
1
With such an increase in investment it would be logical to assume that the police had determined
conclusively that the technology was indispensable and worthy of such substantial spending, and
that the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) could show the extent to which footage from body worn
cameras has benefitted conviction rates.
However, this is not the case. Neither the police nor CPS could provide us with data relating to the
use of footage in criminal proceedings. This makes it impossible to verify the promise of improved
convictions based on the use of the technology.
Furthermore, publicly available findings from the police regarding the outcome of the trials of the
technology reveal inconclusive proof of the benefits to frontline policing and the public, and ongoing
concerns with the technology itself. Meanwhile, academic research shows that the way the cameras
are deployed can impact the safety and security of the police and public alike.
If the plan for future policing is to provide every frontline officer with a body worn camera, proof of
purpose is vital. Our findings reveal that such proof is far from conclusive.
In light of our findings we make three policy recommendations:
1. Data must be collated and published to show how often body worn camera footage is
used as evidence during court proceedings and in obtaining early guilty pleas.
2. Forces must publish regular transparency reports to show how body worn cameras are
being used in day to day policing.
3. Forces should ensure that all body worn cameras deployed show clearly when the citizen
is being filmed. Protection of data when at rest or in transit must be standard.
1
Figures obtained under FOI by Big Brother Watch in 2010.
4
Key Findings
Based on responses from 45 police forces
2
47,922 body worn cameras have been purchased by UK police forces.
32 Forces (71%) use body worn cameras.
4 Forces (9%) were in the process of beginning trials or were planning on rolling out
body worn cameras for the first time.
6 forces (12%) do not use body worn cameras and do not have any trials or roll outs
planned.
In total £22,703,235 has been spent on body worn cameras.
Neither the CPS nor the police told us how often footage has been used in court
proceedings.
19 forces use body worn cameras made by Reveal.
Axon (formerly trading as Taser International), supply 26,935 cameras to forces,
including the three largest police forces in England the Metropolitan Police, Greater
Manchester Police and West Midlands Police.
3 forces provided us with information relating to trials of body worn cameras which
had been undertaken.
2
We received data from 42 forces. 3 forces failed to provide us with information (two forces refused to disclose any
information. One force failed to provide us with sufficient information.)
5
Tables
Table 1: Police forces with the largest number of body worn cameras
No.
Police Force
Number of Cameras
1
Metropolitan Police
22,000
2
Greater Manchester Police
3148
3
Hampshire Constabulary
2800
4
Police Service of Northern Ireland
2100
5
West Midlands Police
1617
6
Bedfordshire Police
1412
7
Leicestershire Police
1400
8
Derbyshire Constabulary
1354
9
Hertfordshire Constabulary
1298
10
Northamptonshire Police
1271
Table 2: Highest spending police forces
No.
Police Force
1
Metropolitan Police
2
Leicestershire Police
3
Police Service of Northern Ireland
4
Northamptonshire Police
5
Bedfordshire Police
6
Hertfordshire Constabulary
7
Surrey Police
8
West Midlands Police
9
Sussex Police
10
Cambridgeshire Constabulary
Table 3: Largest Suppliers
No.
Manufacturer
No. of forces supplied
1
Reveal
19
2
Axon
4
3
Edesix
2
Pinnacle
2
4
B-Cam
1
Veho
1
Vievu
1
6
Table 3 Largest Supply of Body Worn Cameras
3
No.
Manufacturer
No. of body worn cameras supplied
1
Axon
26,935
2
Reveal
14,363
3
Edesix
2,100
4
Veho
1,100
5
Pinnacle
350
3
Merseyside Police is supplied by both Vievu and Edesix but no breakdown between the suppliers was provided therefore
the figures haven’t been included in this table.
7
Chapter 1: Have body worn cameras been proven to be effective?
Supporters and enthusiasts of body worn cameras say the technology will improve and enhance
transparency in frontline policing, reduce the length of time it takes to prosecute criminals, and offer
greater protection from inappropriate or violent behaviour for both police officers and members of
the public.
Senior police figures across the UK have publicly supported the roll out of the technology.
Ron Hogg, Police and Crime Commissioner for Durham Constabulary, said in 2014 “The effective use
of these cameras will promote public reassurance, capture best evidence, prevent harm and deter
people from committing crime and anti-social behaviour.”
4
Whilst Andy Marsh, Chief Constable of Avon and Somerset Constabulary and the National Police
Lead for Body Worn Cameras, argued in the summer of 2016 that “When an officer wears a camera,
the evidence captured is often much higher quality. I have seen earlier admissions and quicker pleas,
together with better informed sentences and sanctions from courts.”
5
But has research into the use of body worn cameras proven these assertions to be accurate?
In 2016 the Metropolitan Police began what they described as “the largest rollout of body worn
cameras by police anywhere in the world.”
6
Before the roll out was approved, the Metropolitan
Police, alongside the London Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime and the College of Policing
undertook a Home Office funded trial of body worn cameras. The trial covered the use of 500
cameras by 814 officers.
The findings of the trial
7
showed the technology had little-to-no impact on several elements of police
work. The report revealed:
“no overall impact” on the “number or type of stop and searches” conducted;
“no effect” on the proportion of arrests for violent crime; and
“no evidence” that the cameras changed the way officers dealt with either victims or
suspects.
Whilst the report identified a reduction in allegations from the public against officers when they
wore the cameras, it was noted that figures “did not reach statistical significance”
8
and merely
matched the overall downward trend in complaints the police were experiencing irrespective of the
use of the technology.
Despite the trial failing to provide a mandate, the Metropolitan Police proceeded to spend over
£15,000,000 on 22,000 cameras – which were rolled out within the year. The rollout was greeted
4
Durham Constabulary, Force rolls out hundreds more bodycams, 5
th
June 2014: https://www.durham.police.uk/news-and-
events/Pages/News%20Articles/Force-rolls-out-hundreds-more-bodycams.aspx
5
Avon & Somerset Police & Crime Commissioner, Body Worn Video Cameras Set To Launch In Avon and Somerset, 18
th
July
2016: http://www.avonandsomerset-pcc.gov.uk/News-and-Events/News-Archive/2016/July/Body-worn-video-cameras-
set-to-launch-in-Avon-and-Somerset.aspx
6
Metropolitan Police Service, Rollout of body worn cameras, 17
th
October 2016: http://news.met.police.uk/news/rollout-
of-body-worn-cameras-191380
7
L Grossmith, C Owen, W Finn, D Mann, T Davies, L Baika, Police, Camera, Evidence: London’s cluster randomised controlled
trial of Body Worn Video, November 2015, p. 13:
https://www.london.gov.uk/sites/default/files/bwv_report_nov_2015.pdf
8
ibid
8
enthusiastically by the then Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, who
said their use “speeds up justice, puts offenders behind bars more quickly and most importantly
protects potential victims.”
9
This was said in-spite of the findings of the trial which had failed to
conclusively prove the assertions to accurately be the case.
Like the Metropolitan Police, other forces around the country have also undertaken trials and
published the findings before formally rolling out the cameras. We were sent three trial reports and
sought out others published online.
Many of the trials expressed similar concerns to the Met:
Paisley and Aberdeen Police stated that: “It is hard to demonstrate the extent of any reduction in
assaults on officers as a result of the use of BWV [body worn video] cameras” and that “It has not
been possible to provide evidence on whether the number of complaints against the police falls when
BWV is used.”
10
North Wales police reported that they had had “no increase in detection rates” and that “the current
effect of BWV on complaint volumes appears to be very marginal.”
11
Aberdeen and Renfrewshire police found that it had been “difficult to show a causal relationship
between the use of BWV cameras and changes in crime.”
12
Durham Constabulary suggested that it “is unlikely any impact could actually be attributed to Body
Cameras”
13
in regards to a reduction in overall crime figures.
Just like the Metropolitan Police all these forces failed to conduct further trials, choosing instead to
invest vast sums of money into a technology which was never conclusively proven to be of any real
value.
Whenever technology is to be used in policing or for public safety, trials are critical. When results are
inconclusive, the answer should be more testing not a roll-out of the technology regardless.
Whilst the police were conducting their practical trials, academics focused on researching the claims
that body worn cameras improve safety and reduce complaints of the police.
In 2014 a team of academic researchers at Cambridge University’s Institute of Criminology, in
conjunction with the Rialto Police Department in California, USA published the report The Effect of
Police Body-Worn Cameras on Use of Force and Citizens’ Complaints against the Police: A
Randomized Control Trial.
14
9
Metropolitan Police Service, Rollout of body worn cameras, 17
th
October 2016: http://news.met.police.uk/news/rollout-
of-body-worn-cameras-191380
10
Flexible Research Contract: Evaluation in the Community Safety Unit, Body Worn Video Projects in Paisley and Aberdeen,
Self Evaluation, Evaluation Report, July 2011, p.14
11
North Wales Police, Body Worn Video: 6 Month Evaluation, March 2016, (Report released to Big Brother Watch under
the Freedom of Information Act 2000).
12
,Paisley and Aberdeen Evaluation (no.12), p.7
13
Durham Constabulary, Body Worn Video Device: Evaluation, November 2013, (Report released to Big Brother Watch
under the Freedom of Information Act 2000)., p. 23
14
B Ariel, W Farrar, A Sutherland, The Effect of Police Body-Worn Cameras on Use of Force and Citizens’ Complaints against
the Police: A Randomized Control Trial, November
2014https://www.repository.cam.ac.uk/bitstream/handle/1810/246429/JQC11.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
9
The report, known as the “Rialto Study”, randomly assigned body worn cameras to officers within
the Rialto Police Department for a year. During this period every interaction those officers had with
the public was recorded. The findings revealed that the use of force by officers against individuals
dropped by 59% and complaints against officers fell by 87%.
15
It is inevitable that supporters of this technology would turn to the Rialto Study as comprehensive
proof that their assumptions have been shown to be accurate. But despite the seemingly positive
outcome, the academic team consistently pointed to the fact that “most of the claims made by
advocates and critics of the technology remain untested”.
16
They recommended that “police forces,
governments and researchers” should “invest further time and effort in replicating these findings”
17
and invest in further work on the subject before the use of cameras becomes widespread.
It is clear that more research is needed by both the police and academics to ensure that assumptions
do not outweigh evidence. This research should be ongoing; in addition to the collation and
publication of police force’s data outlining how the technology is used on the streets and as
evidence in court.
Without conclusive proof, the claims made by senior police fall flat and the continued use of this
technology must be called into question. Moreover, if the future of policing is to increase the use of
intrusive technology, clear quantifiable evidence is needed. Having proof that the technology is
being used appropriately and is achieving the results promised is logical and crucial for transparent
and honest communication with the public.
Chapter 2: Has footage from body worn cameras been effective as
evidence in court or in securing early guilty pleas?
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has also been a vocal supporter of the use of body worn
cameras, making clear that “The underlying principle of using BWV is that it can be used as
evidence.”
18
We were surprised, therefore, to discover that the CPS is unable to prove the benefits of
the technology in relation to its use in prosecutions.
One of the critical claims made by enthusiasts for the technology is that footage from the cameras
will improve sentencing and early guilty pleas.
We used Freedom of Information requests to ask both the police and the CPS how many court cases
have used footage taken from a police body worn camera which led to a successful or an
unsuccessful prosecution. We also asked the CPS how often a defendant entered a guilty plea based
on body worn camera footage and how often footage from a body worn camera was requested from
the police.
Neither the police or CPS provided us with a response.
15
Institute of Criminology University of Cambridge, First scientific report shows police body-worn-cameras can prevent
unacceptable use-of-force: http://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/first-scientific-report-shows-police-body-worn-cameras-
can-prevent-unacceptable-use-of-force
16
Michael D. White, Police Officer Body-Worn Cameras: Assessing the evidence, 2014
17
Ariel (n16), p.32
18
Home Office, ACPO, Guidance for the police use of body-worn video devices, Police and Crime Standards Directorate, July
2007, p. 12: http://library.college.police.uk/docs/homeoffice/guidance-body-worn-devices.pdf
10
The police cited that the data was not being centrally recorded, not being held in an easily
retrievable format or, most worrisome of all, that the data was simply not held at all. The CPS told
us that the data would require a “manual review of case records”.
Whilst we appreciate that systems may not have been originally established to record the use of
footage in and easily readable format, the failure to seek to build systems to record the use of
footage in a prosecution or in relation to an early guilty plea is of profound concern.
With no access to the facts and figures relating to the outcome or how footage from body worn
cameras is used it is impossible to assess the claims of their value.
If the police and CPS are insistent that the technology will improve sentencing and improve guilty
pleas they need to provide data to show the assertion to be accurate.
To the credit of the police and the CPS, we know that An Evidence Gathering Checklist
19
for the
police to use in relation to domestic abuse cases has been created. The CPS say the checklist
ensures “that all evidence is explored and everything possible is done to support victims.”
20
We welcome this approach and the emphasis on encouraging the police to consider and record the
evidence they have acquired. If it can improve prosecutions and support for victims of crime then it
is a welcome move. It also assists in the necessary analysis of police efficiency, a necessary part of
transparency. But why is such a checklist not used for all forms of criminal activity?
The police and the CPS should record when technology has been used in policing or in the building of
a case for or against an individual. The data should be stored in a readable and accessible format
and be regularly published as part of an annual review. This will allow the public to see what
benefits, if any, the technology is bringing to policing.
Chapter 3: When are body worn cameras switched on?
Police officers in the UK wearing body worn camera have discretion when the camera is on or off.
Guidance from the College of Policing and the Surveillance Camera Code of Practice make clear that
“continuous, non-specific recording is not permitted” and that all filming should be “proportionate,
legitimate and necessary.”
21
We are supportive of a discretionary on/off use of the cameras. The alternative approach of
continuous filming would excessively impinge upon the privacy of the police officers working with
the cameras, as well as the privacy of the public. However, complex issues arise in relation to
whether filming is left to officer discretion or whether it is continuous.
In the guidance to assist officers, the College of Policing guidance makes clear that the officer must
“at the start of any recording…where practicable, make a verbal announcement to indicate that the
BWV [body worn video] equipment has been activated.”
and that “If the recording has started prior
19
Joint NPCC and CPS Evidence Gathering Checklist – For Use by Police Forces and CPS in Cases of Domestic Abuse
http://www.cps.gov.uk/legal/assets/uploads/files/joint_npcc_cps_evidence_gathering_checklist.doc e (DA)
20
International Women's Day - Bodyworn police cameras helping domestic abuse prosecutions, 8
th
March 2017
http://www.cps.gov.uk/news/latest_news/international-womens-day/
21
College of Policing, Body-Worn Video, August 2014 p. 5: http://library.college.police.uk/docs/college-of-policing/Body-
worn-video-guidance-2014.pdf
11
to the user’s arrival at the scene of an incident, they should, as soon as is practicable, announce to
those present that recording is taking place and that their actions and sounds are being recorded.”
22
Taken at face value the guidance appears to be beneficial to both the officer, who will stop and
consider whether they should begin filming, and for the citizen, to clearly know when they are being
filmed.
However, research by the Institute of Criminology academics at Cambridge University (the same
team responsible for the Rialto Study) found that officer discretion and the timing of when filming
begins can lead to an increase in attacks on officers.
Working alongside UK and USA police forces, the study
23
revealed that when discretion is used rates
of assault towards officers increased by an average of 15% compared to officers not using the
cameras.
Furthermore, they pointed out that being on camera may have a detrimental impact on the
behaviour of the officer as well as the behaviour of the citizen. They make clear that being on
camera “may make officers less assertive… and make them more vulnerable to assault”
24
and “if an
officer decides to announce mid-interaction they are beginning to film, that could provoke a reaction
that results in use-of-force.”
25
However, the researchers considered that this could be as “officers
feel more able (or compelled) to report instances when they are assaulted”
26
, although they state
that this notion is “yet un-evidenced.”
27
This research is of profound importance in highlighting the unknown impact surveillance body worn
cameras can have both on the user and on the person being filmed. Often the impact of surveillance
is only addressed in relation to privacy infringements, yet the findings of this report highlight the
psychological impact body worn cameras can have on the officer and members of the public. This
should be investigated further.
If surveillance technology worn by officers is to become a basic policing tool, the police will need to
ensure that the impact of being watched whilst at work does not impact the mental or physical
health of officers. The findings from Cambridge University must not be dismissed as issues which
will be resolved as people get used to the technology. The police must ensure that ongoing research
is undertaken into the impact on their staff using these cameras.
It will also be critical to ensure the technology officers are using is of the highest standard, and
benefits from features which clearly indicate to the public when they are being filmed.
All the cameras currently used by UK police forces feature a light which is activated when the
camera is filming. Some of the cameras have a front facing screen.
22
Ibid, p.24
23
B. Ariel, A Sutherland, D Henstock, J Young, P Drover, J Sykes, S Megicks, R Henderson, Wearing body cameras increases
assaults against officers and does not reduce police use of force: Results from a global multi-site experiment, 2016:
http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1477370816643734
24
Ibid, p 752
25
Body-worn cameras associated with increased assaults against police, and increase in use-of-force if officers choose
when to activate cameras, 17
th
May 2016 http://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/body-worn-cameras-associated-with-
increased-assaults-against-police-and-increase-in-use-of-force-if
26
B Ariel (no. 26), p 752
27
ibid
12
The public have been promised this technology is not about secret filming. Forces therefore should
purchase products which go to every length to emphasise when the camera is on and off and when a
citizen is being filmed.
Chapter 4: Data protection and security of footage
As with any technology that records sound and footage, the use of body worn cameras must adhere
to strict data protection laws.
Footage recorded by the cameras will likely include sensitive and personal data. Due to the
positioning of the camera incidental people may be caught on film. The interior of someone’s home
or workplace may also be captured if the camera is used during an arrest, investigation or search.
From an audio perspective names, addresses and other personal details will all be recorded.
Citizens also need to be given clarity about their data protection rights in relation to experiencing
body worn cameras. Guidance should be given on a citizen’s rights to request removal of footage or
obtain access to the footage via a subject access request. Citizens should be 100% clear that unless
criminal charges are brought, the footage of them will remain protected.
Data protection is also critical when it comes to the security of the footage on and off the device, but
the security offered by the various cameras used by UK police forces varies.
Some of the available cameras appear to take security of data very seriously. The ability to encrypt
footage held on the device offers protection should the camera be lost, stolen or hacked. Others
offer automatic deletion once data has been uploaded, minimising the volume of footage held on
the devices.
Durham Constabulary have previously raised specific concerns regarding a Veho
28
body worn
camera, pointing out that “Any potential encryption of the camera is believed not to be possible due
to it being a removable SD card rather than an inbuilt memory”
29
. Despite this major concern
Durham Constabulary are still using the cameras. Encrypting data is critical, but the technology must
be compatible.
We are concerned to see that the Axon cameras used by the largest police forces in the country
provide Bluetooth and Wi-Fi functions to allow officers to download or transfer footage with ease.
Both functions can be hugely insecure increasing the opportunity for the data to be intercepted,
hacked or lost.
Significant issues have also been found regarding how Axon stores their data. Sky News in August
2015 revealed some police forces were storing footage from body worn cameras on commercial
cloud servers hosted outside the UK by Taser (the manufacturers of the Axon cameras) as opposed
to holding the footage on their own systems which they had direct control over
30
.
In an age where high profile hacks and data breaches are increasingly commonplace it is easy to see
the danger of holding information in this manner. Steps must be taken to ensure that all body worn
28
VCC-003 Muvi Pro
29
Durham Constabulary, Body Worn Video Device: Evaluation, November 2013, p. 10
30
Sky News, Security Fears Over Police Body Cameras, 20
th
August 2015: http://news.sky.com/story/security-fears-over-
police-body-cameras-10348763
13
cameras purchased use encryption and that the encryption isn’t subsequently undermined by poor
technological design.
There appears to be very little to justify the inclusion of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capabilities in devices.
Officers should refrain from utilising these capabilities unless they are 100% sure the technology and
the connection is secure.
Cameras should therefore only be used if they offer a deletion-on-upload service, to ensure that no
data is left on a device longer than is necessary.
Data and security measures aside, all forces should also be confident that the technology they are
using is fit for purpose. Police reports of officers complaining about poor technology are not
uncommon.
During their trial of cameras, officers at Essex Police listed a “failure to record, recording at the
wrong angle, difficulties switching it on/off and not working in poor lighting, as well as being bulky so
difficult to wear.”
31
Despite this the force rolled out 411 cameras to their frontline staff at a cost of
£209,610.
Similar concerns have been raised by police in Scotland. With a recent report from the BBC quoting
officers describing the system as “inoperative" and "unusable". Most worrying of all was the
reference to “one camera [which] was found by officers to be recording audio at all times even when
it was not activated to record.”
32
It would be expected that such devices would be pulled immediately after such flaws were found.
There are obvious issues here which need to be addressed. Data protection should be at the heart of
the use of this technology and an important facet of this is ensuring that the public are fully aware at
all times of their rights. A failure in public knowledge in this area is a failure of the police. The actual
technology used should be of the highest quality, built with privacy, security and data protection in
mind. Poor technology leaves citizens’ personal data vulnerable.
Chapter 5: Oversight
Two independent bodies oversee the use of body worn cameras and video surveillance technologies:
The Surveillance Camera Commissioner (SCC), in addition to other responsibilities
33
,
oversees the use of body worn cameras by local authorities and the police.
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), as part of their broader remit
34
, regulates the
processing of personal data obtained by surveillance camera systems.
31
College of Policing, The Essex Body Worn Video Trial: The impact of Body Worn Video on criminal justice outcomes of
domestic abuse incidents, October 2014, p. 2: http://whatworks.college.police.uk/Research/Documents/BWV_Report.pdf
32
BBC News, Issues with police body-worn camera system revealed, 28
th
April 2017: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-
scotland-39730665
33
The Surveillance Camera Commissioner also fulfils a wider range of responsibilities: The role of the Surveillance Camera
Commissioner is to encourage compliance with the surveillance camera code of practice. The office of the commissioner
was created under the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 to further regulate surveillance cameras. The act required a code
of practice to be produced about surveillance camera systems. The surveillance camera code of practice sets out guidelines
for CCTV, body worn video, drones and automatic number plate recognition.
14
Both have produced their own Code of Practice
35
for the use of surveillance camera technology,
emphasising that surveillance technologies must be used only when necessary and in a
proportionate and transparent way. Body worn cameras are no exception.
Oversight is an important aspect of accountability. It must be ensured that the guidance these
bodies give is closely followed to ensure the police are using this technology correctly.
The ICO’s CCTV Code of Practice emphasises the need for ongoing scrutiny of the technology;
anyone using a body worn camera “should continue to monitor the use of the BWV [body worn
video] system as a whole to see if it is still achieving its original purpose. If it appears that it is no
longer achieving this purpose or it is no longer required, you should look at potentially less privacy
intrusive methods to address the need.”
36
The Surveillance Camera Commissioner makes clear that although the technology can bring benefits,
a body worn camera “is still an invasive surveillance tool and must not be used without due regard to
an individual’s privacy, the sensitive location of its use and proper recognition of legal and regulatory
guidelines.”
37
There is a responsibility here on both the police and the oversight bodies. The police should closely
follow the guidance they are given by the experts, ensuring that they use this technology
appropriately in order to maintain or develop public confidence. If this is not done, then the use of
the technology should be curtailed. The oversight bodies must hold the police to account and be
frank where necessary. Collaboration is vital to ensure there is no abuse of this intrusive technology.
34
The Information Commissioner’s Office remit is broader than just oversight of surveillance cameras by organisations and
private individuals: The Information Commissioner regulates the processing of personal data as set out in the Data
Protection Act. This applies to all sectors across the UK and includes personal data that has been obtained by surveillance
camera systems. The Information Commissioner’s function includes complaints handling and enforcement powers.
35
Surveillance Camera Commissioner, Surveillance Camera Code of Practice, June 2013:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/204775/Surveillance_Camera_Code_of_
Practice_WEB.pdf
Information Commissioner’s Office, In the picture: A data protection code of practice for surveillance cameras and personal
information, 21
st
May 2015: https://ico.org.uk/media/for-organisations/documents/1542/cctv-code-of-practice.pdf
36
Information Commissioner’s Office, In the picture: A data protection code of practice for surveillance cameras and
personal information, p. 30: https://ico.org.uk/media/1542/cctv-code-of-practice.pdf
37
T Porter, Body Worn Video, 30
th
November 2016: https://videosurveillance.blog.gov.uk/2016/11/30/body-worn-video/
15
Conclusion
It is inevitable that the future of policing will involve technology, but the technology used must be
shown to bring real, quantifiable and unique benefits to the police and to the fight against crime.
Our findings, alongside those of the police and academics, reveals that the promised benefits of
body worn cameras are far from proven. The findings cast doubt on the logic of a police force
spending vast sums of a waning budget on technology which they themselves have expressed
concern about.
This is not the first time that the public have been encouraged to support the use of costly
surveillance technology based on hypothetical benefits. The mass adoption of CCTV on the streets of
the UK by police and public authorities was promised to reduce crime and improve safety on the
streets. Yet after two decades and billions of pounds invested in CCTV, the reality is that it is only
effective at investigating crime after the event, not preventing it from happening in the first place.
38
Time after time CCTV is promoted based on making people “feel” safe, as opposed to ensuring they
are actually made safer.
The lessons of CCTV should be considered when it comes to deploying body worn cameras. The
public must not be led to believe that the technology is a guarantee of improved policing.
Furthermore, we must be conscious of forces deploying the technology for purposes beyond their
initial remit. Recent news reports have revealed Durham Constabulary are using the technology as a
surveillance tool to gather up-to-date images of known “villains” taken during stop and search. This
reveals the cameras are being used for a purpose far removed from the promises of senior police
that they will only be used to improve transparency, relations between the police and public and
conviction rates.
As our earlier report in this series, Smile You’re on Body Worn Camera Part 1: Local Authorities
showed, where the police lead, councils and other public authorities are always keen to follow. The
police therefore must set an example. This example should extend past best practice, and must also
make clear that it is not responsible to pursue worthless technology in the hope that after enough
time has passed the technology’s value will be either proven or forgotten about as it becomes
commonplace.
For body worn cameras to benefit both officers and society alike, the police and CPS must ensure
that quantifiable data on the use of footage and the use of the cameras is collated and published. If
the findings continue to reveal inconclusive evidence of the perceived benefits, police forces should
halt use of the technology immediately. Technology may be inevitable, but its success is not. We
should not just use technology for technology’s sake. The public should be assured that investment
in technology is value for money, and that the benefits are proven and not assumed.
38
A Home Office report concluded that the impact of CCTV had been “variable”. “Any measured change in
crime following CCTV installation could not always be attributed to CCTV”, Home Office, The impact of CCTV:
fourteen case studies, 2005, p.36
16
Recommendations
In light of our findings and based on the wide range of published research relating to the UK police
use of body worn cameras we propose a number of policy recommendations to be considered by
forces already deploying or seeking to deploy the technology:
1. Data must be collated and published to show how often body worn camera footage is used as
evidence during court proceedings and in obtaining early guilty pleas.
It is not good enough to say the evidence recorded by body worn cameras is having a positive
impact on court proceedings without proving that to be the case. It should be a matter of
further discussion regarding which organisation should be responsible for collecting and making
the information public, but both individual police forces and the Crown Prosecution Service
seem well placed to fulfil this role.
2. Forces must publish regular transparency reports to show how body worn cameras are being
used in day to day policing.
Body worn cameras have to be proven to be useful to the police both before the initial roll out
and on an ongoing basis. Regular transparency reports showing how often cameras are
triggered, what impact they are having and which situations they are useful in will help forces to
target their use of the technology more effectively. It will also help them to show why the
cameras are necessary and how they can help officers in their duties.
3. Forces should ensure that all body worn cameras deployed feature a visual aid to show clearly
when the citizen is being filmed. Protection of data when at rest or in transit must be
standard.
The increasing number of media headlines about hacks and the loss of personal data clearly
show that any form of information could potentially be at risk. The sensitive nature of the
footage captured by a body worn camera only increases this threat. To limit their susceptibility
to external threats forces have to minimise the amount of information they hold and the footage
they do retain must be properly protected.
17
Appendix 1: Technical Specifications
A body worn camera is a small device attached to a police officer’s uniform which can be manually
switched on and off. The cameras capture video and audio.
Seven different manufacturers currently supply body worn cameras to police forces in the UK. The
products are all similar but each manufacturer will offer a different capability be it size, screen
position or data protection
Reveal have provided many different cameras to police forces across the UK. Currently, their main
product is the RS2-X2.
The RS2-X2 can be worn on the chest, helmet or shoulder.
It features a front facing screen.
The camera also features a light to show when the device is recording.
Data is encrypted on the device.
Data is uploaded at the end of a shift using either the Digital Evidence Management System
(DEMS) provided by Reveal or the force’s own data storage.
Axon (formerly trading as Taser International) provide products such as the Axon Body 2 and the
Axon Flex 2.
The Axon Body 2 is a small device worn on the body.
Axon cameras do not have a front facing screen but they do feature a light which is activated
when the device is recording.
Axon provide an app to work in conjunction with the devices.
Axon cameras also feature Wi-Fi and Bluetooth functions to enable the sharing of data.
Data is encrypted on the device.
Data can be uploaded to the Axon provided cloud system.
Edesix manufactures the Videobadge series of body worn cameras.
The VB-100, VB-200 and VB-300 are rectangular and can be worn on the chest.
None of these models feature a front facing screen and only the VB-300 series features a
light show recording is in progress.
The VB-300 series is Wi-Fi enabled.
The devices feature encryption.
18
Appendix 2: Full Police Force Breakdown
Police Force
Use Body Worn
Cameras
Total
Spend
Total
Num
ber
of
Cam
eras
Use in Court
Storage
Permanent or
trial?
Mo
del
Manufa
cturer
Successful
Case
Unsuccessful
Case
Tota
l
Retention
Time
Location
Avon and Somerset
Constabulary
Permanent
39
Refused – cost and time
Bedfordshire Police
Permanent
£668,5
25.52
1412
40
RS2-
X2
Reveal
Information not held - only recently
come out of project stage
31 days
Centrally on
local storage
Cambridgeshire
Constabulary
Permanent
£442,3
70.65
917
RS2
Reveal
Information cannot be provided
31 days
Secure storage
Cheshire
Constabulary
Does not use Body Worn Cameras
City of London
Police
Permanent
£101,0
00
170
Bod
y 2
Axon
0
0
0
As long as
required for
policing
purposes
Evidence.com
cloud storage
Cleveland Police
Permanent
£57,00
0
41
100
RS3-
SX
Reveal
Refused - cost and time
In accordance
with MOPI
rules
Secure internal
servers
Cumbria
Constabulary
Permanent
£90,00
0
250
PR5
Pinnacle
Refused - cost and time
Minimum of
31 Days
We burn all
relevant
footage to a
disc and store
39
Although the force refused the request on the basis of cost and time, we were sent a link to a press release which stated that the force were rolling out body worn cameras.
40
Includes officers working for Bedfordshire Police and a Joint Bedfordshire/Cambridgeshire Unit.
41
PCC obtained a grant as part of the protecting women and girls from violence campaign.
19
in our video
imaging unit
storage.
Derbyshire
Constabulary
Permanent
£387,2
36.35
1292
42
RS2-
X2
and
RS2-
X3
Reveal
Refused under Section 12
30 days unless
deemed
evidential.
Server
Devon and
Cornwall Police
43
See Dorset Police's response for current deployment - see note for previous trial
Dorset Police
Trial expected to
begin Q3 2016
£0
100
44
PR5
Pinnacle
Trials not started
31 if non-
evidential
Central digital
assets/evidenc
e management
platform
Durham
Constabulary
Permanent
£49,50
0
45
1100
46
Muv
i Pro
VCC
-003
Veho
Information not held - do not record
whether or not footage is used in court
proceedings
In accordance
with MOPI
rules
Information
not provided
Dyfed Powys Police
Does not use Body Worn Cameras
Essex Police
Permanent
£209,6
10
411
B-CAM A5
Refused - cost and time
Information
not provided
Internal
storage
servers
Gloucestershire
Constabulary
Refused - cost and time
42
A further 62 are on order
43
Information obtained from previous FOI: 1. Trial took place in Plymouth from January 2014. 2. 38 cameras were purchased. 3. £5000 - provided by Safer Plymouth. 4. 8244 5. Cameras
issued to Response and Local Policing & partnership Officers.
44
Via the Police Innovation Fund.
45
Approximate figure
46
1050 issued to frontline staff and a further 50 are kept as spares or replacements.
20
Greater
Manchester Police
Permanent
Refuse
d -
comme
rcially
sensitiv
e
3,14
8
47
AXON
Body
Camera
System
s
Refused - Cost and Time
30 if non-
evidential
Unknown
48
Gwent Police
Permanent
£164,4
05
360
RS2
Reveal
No Information Held
31 days if non-
evidential
Secure force
servers
Hampshire
Constabulary
49
Permanent
Unkno
wn
2,80
0
50
RS2-
X2
Reveal
Refused - Cost and Time
Unknown
Hertfordshire
Constabulary
Permanent
£614,0
00
1298
RX2
Reveal
Unknown. Response notes - "We have
not collated this detail yet"
31 days
Information
not provided
Humberside Police
Unclear
51
£143,0
00
52
92
Reveal
Refused - cost and time
31 days
Information
not provided
Kent Police
Essex Police's response notes that Kent Police submitted and were awarded funding from the Home Office Innovation Fund in 2014
Lancashire
Constabulary
Permanent
£200,0
00
53
250
54
RX3
55
Revea
l
Information not held
30 days
DEMS storage
and
management
software
Leicestershire
Police
56
Permanent
£765,0
00
57
1400
RS3-
SX
and
Revea
l
Information not recorded
30 days
Held on
servers owned
and managed
47
Contract provided notes a minimum of 2000 up to a quantity of 3,148 Camera Systems.
48
Contract provided by response notes that Evidence.com digital asset management system licenses were provided.
49
Response provided the following link which contained the information: http://uopnews.port.ac.uk/2015/03/05/body-worn-video-cameras-reduce-crime/
50
Targeted figure by the end of 2015/16.
51
Response does not specify whether this is a trial or on a permanent basis.
52
£80,000 - Received from the Home Office in 2007 for the purchase of equipment and £7000 per annum spent on licenses.
53
Approximate figure.
54
Set to increase to 400.
55
Response notes that Reveal Media RX2 cameras will be purchased in the future.
56
Rolled out cameras alongside four other East Midlands forces - Nottinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Derbyshire and Lincolnshire. Trialled in one of these regions, on behalf of the others,
before roll-out.
57
£475,000 was from the Home Office's Policing Innovation Fund and the remainder came from the Leicestershire Police and Crime Commissioner.
21
RS2-
X2
58
by
Leicestershire
Police
Lincolnshire
Police
59
Roll out began
July 2016
Refused - Cost and Time
Merseyside Police
Permanent
Comple
te
figures
unavail
able -
see
note
60
850
PVR-
PRO 2
Vievu
and
Edesix
Refused - cost and time
31 days unless
required for
evidence
Stored on a
database - the
Digital
Evidence
Management
System
Metropolitan Police
Permanent
61
£15,50
0,000
62
2200
0
Axon2
body
camer
a and
Flex2
camer
a
Axon
Taser
Information not held - envisaged that it
will be in the future, once digitisation
has taken place in the courts
31 days
off-site cloud
based storage
system for the
pilot, but will
move to UK
based
Microsoft
Azure solution.
Norfolk
Constabulary
63
64
Use cameras used
in trial
65
Reveal
North Wales Police
Permanent
£232,9
40.84
66
120
67
RS2
Camer
Revea
l
Information not held in an accessible
format
30 days if non-
evidential
Central Secure
Sever
58
700 - RS3-SX and 700 - RS2-SX. In the past individual departments have also purchased devices from Pinnacle Response and Robocam. These have since been disposed of.
59
Response notes that a Force wide introduction began in July 2016.
60
January 2014-January 2015: £119,000 and February 2015-October 2015: £147,000. Part funded by the Home Office
61
Response notes - In process of rolling out body worn cameras to all public facing officers.
62
Projected expenditure on completion of roll out. £13.4m Capital and £2.1 Project Opex (non-capitalised project).
63
Joint response with Suffolk Constabulary.
64
Response notes - Both of the Constabularies have trialled the use of cameras and a number of officers use the cameras which were used during the trial. 3 cameras are being used by the
Norfolk Licensing Team. Overall there are less than 20 in operation. The cameras in use are cameras manufactured by Reveal Media.
65
State that “a number of officers use the cameras which were used during the trial”
66
120 in use - £69,988 (75% was funded centrally by the Home Office's Innovation Award) and 310 on order - £162,952.84.
22
a
North Yorkshire
Police
68
Permanent
Informa
tion
cannot
be
provide
d
38
Information
centrally held
Refused - cost and time
Information
not provided
Information
not provided
Northamptonshire
Police
Permanent
£682,0
00
1271
Multiple
69
Used regularly in court, but specific
information not held
31 days if non-
evidential
Information
not provided
Northumbria Police
Refused Cost and Time
Nottinghamshire
Police
Permanent
£291,6
70
550
RS2-
X2
Reveal
Information not provided
31 days if non-
evidential
Electronic
server
Police Scotland
Permanent
Purchas
ed by
predec
essor
force
434
Information
not held
70
Information not held
31 days if non-
evidential
Stored
consistently
with national
guidance and
relevant
legislation.
Police Service of
Northern Ireland
Permanent
£730,0
00
2100
VB-
320
Edesix
Refused - cost and time
31 days if non-
evidential
Stored
consistently
with guidance
South Wales Police
Does not use Body Worn Cameras
South Yorkshire
Police
Does not use Body Worn Cameras
Staffordshire Police
Permanent
£370,5
51
71
550
RS3
Reveal
Removed - cost and time
31 days if non-
evidential
Information
not provided
Suffolk
See Norfolk
67
120 in use and a further 310 on order
68
Response notes - No central project in place for body worn cameras.
69
Pinnacle LE2, Pinnacle PR5, Pinnacle PR6, B-cam SRU, Axon Flex, Axon Body, Reveal RS3, Reveal RS2-X2, Robocam and Edesix Video Badge.
70
Response notes - Anecdotally it is thought the majority are Edesix.
71
Includes all support and maintenance costs.
23
Constabulary
Surrey Police
Awaiting trial
£600,0
00
1220
RS2
X2
Reveal
N/A
Sussex Police
Permanent
£496,0
00
over
1000
RS2
Reveal
Currently no data
30 days unless
evidential
Information
not held
Thames Valley
Police
Permanent
Informa
tion not
provide
d
380
RS3
SX
Reveal
Refused - cost and time
31 days if non-
evidential
Retention in
line with MoPI
guidance and
Data
Protection Act
1998
Warwickshire
Police
72
Does not use Body Worn Cameras - exploring potential for future use
West Mercia
Police
73
Does not use Body Worn Cameras - exploring potential for future use
West Midlands
Police
Preparing
permanent roll-
out
74
£565,4
26
75
1617
Bod
y 2
Axon
Taser
Refused - cost and time
In line with
MOPI
guidelines
Secure
government
cloud server
West Yorkshire
Police
76
Permanently
70
77
Information not provided
72
Response notes - Body worn cameras one option under consideration for a trial.
73
Response notes - Body worn cameras one option under consideration for a trial.
74
Included in current use figures
75
Response notes - includes cameras, docks, peripherals, software licensing and storage.
76
Information gathered in part from a previous FOI response, provided by West Yorkshire Police. Previous FOI included following link: https://www.westyorkshire-
pcc.gov.uk/media/92443/item_6_report_on_bwv.pdf .
77
Chief Constable Report to the Police and Crime Commissioner attached to previous FOI notes this is a minimum. Previous FOI notes force is able to deploy 70 at a time.
24
Wiltshire Police
Planning a roll
out
78
No
purchas
es
made
100
79
See note
80
N/A
N/A
N/A
78
Planning a roll-out in conjunction with Avon and Somerset Constabulary.
79
These cameras were purchased (Under a Home Office Innovation Fund initiative) in 2014 in conjunction with Avon and Somerset Constabulary but they were not adopted because of the
lack of a centralised digital evidence repository. They now no longer meet the right technological standards or have the functionality to meet operational needs. Wiltshire Police is planning to
purchase 863 cameras with Avon and Somerset Constabulary.
80
Cameras purchased with Avon and Somerset Constabulary are planned to be RS2-X2.
25
Appendix 3: Methodology
Beginning on the 2
nd
August 2016 a Freedom of Information request was sent to all UK police forces.
We asked each force whether or not they used body worn cameras and if this was part of a trial or a
on a permanent basis. If the force did use body worn cameras, we also asked how many cameras
had been purchased, how much had been spent, what type of cameras were being used, where the
footage was held and how long for, as well as for copies of any documentation about trials of the
technology. We also asked for details of how often footage captured by a body worn camera had
been used in court, requesting that the forces breakdown the figures between the number of
successful and unsuccessful cases.
We received 45 responses; this is equivalent to 100%. For the purposes of this report only responses
received by 1
st
April 2017 have been included.
On the 3
rd
July 2017 we sent a Freedom of Information Request to the Crown Prosecution Service.
We asked the CPS how many times they had requested and received body worn camera footage
from police forces. We also asked how many cases used the footage and the success of these cases.
In relation to this, we also requested how many times this footage led to an early guilty plea from
the defendant. Finally we asked for copies of any guidance that prosecutors have received on how to
use body worn camera footage in courts.
We received a response on 18
th
July 2017.
26
Appendix 4: Original FOI Request
Police
Dear Sir or Madam
I am writing under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to request information about your force’s
use of body worn cameras, specifically I am asking the following:
1. Does your force use body worn cameras?
i. If the answer is yes please indicate whether this is part of a trial or if the technology
has been adopted on a permanent basis
2. How many body worn cameras has your force purchased?
3. How much has your force spent on body worn cameras?
4. Please provide the make, model and manufacturer of the body worn cameras you have
purchased.
5. How many times has the evidence gained from body worn cameras been used in court?
Please breakdown between the following:
i. The number of successful cases.
ii. The number of unsuccessful cases.
6. Where and for how long is the footage held?
7. Please provide documentation relating to the results of any trial of body worn cameras that
your force has undertaken.
I understand under the Freedom of Information Act that I am entitled to a response within twenty
working days. I would be grateful if you could confirm this request in writing as soon as possible.
Crown Prosecution Service
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 to request information about footage
obtained by police body worn cameras and its use in court during the period 2010 to 2016:
1. How many times has the CPS requested body worn camera footage from police forces?
2. How many times has the CPS received body worn camera footage from police forces?
3. How many court cases have used footage taken from a police body worn camera?
i. How many led to a successful prosecution?
ii. How many led to an unsuccessful prosecution
4. On how many occasions has a defendant entered an early guilty plea where police body
worn camera footage formed part of the evidence?
5. Please provide copies of any guidance for prosecutors on how the evidence collected by a
body worn camera can be used in court.
I understand under the Freedom of Information Act that I am entitled to a response within twenty
working days. I would be grateful if you could confirm this request in writing as soon as possible.
27
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