Police officers are switching off their body-worn cameras when force is used, as well as deleting footage and sharing videos on WhatsApp.
A recent BBC investigation has been described by a leading officer as 'shocking' as it uncovers more than 150 reports of camera misuse by forces across England and Wales.
This is unfortunately something that occurs in a number of our cases - where clients have claimed that the police were not recording all the footage. This is probably in an attempt to conceal parts of the arrest which could be considered unreasonable i.e. where force or even just bad language is used in a manner which is not required or justified. (Police are allowed to use force if they can prove that it was lawful, proportionate and necessary in the circumstances).
Body-worn cameras were introduced with the intention of protecting both the police and the victims. The idea being that it would protect the police against malicious complaints and improve the quality of evidence collected as a whole. However, during a two-year investigation, the BBC have obtained reports that these cameras have been misused and the police have not always been transparent or used them in the way in which they were intended. Such findings include:
- Sharing camera footage with colleagues or friends - either in person, via WhatsApp or on social media
- Images of a naked person being shared between officers on email and cameras used to covertly record conversations
- Footage being lost, deleted or not marked as evidence, including video, filmed by Bedfordshire Police, of a vulnerable woman alleging she had been raped by an inspector - the force later blamed an "administrative error"
- Switching off cameras during incidents, for which some officers faced no sanctions - one force said an officer may have been "confused"
The findings of these investigations have raised significant issues within the police, and it has been stated that more footage should now be released in order to try and regain public trust. The failures uncovered by the BBC have been labeled as "unlawful" in the most serious cases and they undermine the confidence in policing.
Police forces' attitudes towards cameras are wrong....There are too many dark things that go on that we are not seeing
The aforementioned statement by Baroness Louise Casey highlights the absolute importance of gathering ALL relevant evidence (including CCTV from the station which captures the whole police station process) in order to support your case. Many of our cases have been won based on the fact that the police cannot provide sufficient evidence to warrant a guilty plea, however these recent findings now mean the significance of gathering all the evidence against you is crucial, and could be a huge turning point in your case.
Have you ever been a victim of camera misuse? Or believe you have been in a situation with the police where you felt the circumstances were unfair? Contact us now on 0151 422 8020 to speak to one of our legal processionals.
Read the full article here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-66809642
