FEATURE
BODY-WORN VIDEO
The camera NEVER
lies
As more civil enforcement officers are wearing cameras, Adam Liardet explains why they are so important for both safety and security
O
Body-worn video evidence has been
used in courts to show exactly what happened at an incident
ptical evidence gathering has been used by the police since the development of the camera, both for recording incidents and the effects of crime. However, since the UK Home Office pilot for police use of head cameras in 2006, and the subsequent mandatory requirements for these systems were laid out in the UK Home Office guidance document, a broadening of the uses for these systems have led to some interesting cost savings for users. Body-worn video (BWV) consists of a smaller-than-lipstick-sized full-colour bullet camera attached to a small, digital solid state hard drive unit. High definition quality footage and audio can be stored on the unit and later downloaded to a computer or burned to disk. The video and audio data provide an officer’s view of how an incident unfolded, who said what, and what decisions were made at the time. The camera also captures emotions and many small details that can be forgotten during the dynamics of an incident.
The use of BWV can dramatically enhance the gathering of primary evidence. The camera can pick up and record everything an officer sees and hears, including details officers could never hope to recall when trying to document events on paper in a statement. There have been countless examples of it being used to help secure convictions by ensuring offenders and complainants admit to their wrongdoings at much earlier stages in investigations.
Solid evidence
BWV footage has also been used to disprove malicious complaints against officers. There have been examples of
28 MAY 2013
solicitors making complaints on behalf of their clients then immediately withdrawing those complaints after reviewing the footage. BWV evidence has been used in courts to show exactly what happened at an incident. A prepared statement can come across as very clinical and does not convey the emotions and atmosphere at the time an officer interacted with an offender. BWV systems however, can capture those emotions.
One other area in which headcams
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