ProfSec27-09ps

Body Worn Video
thumbs up from cops:
Support for cams
Front line police officers have widespread
support for body-worn video cameras,
according to a study by criminologists at
London Metropolitan University. The
academics looked at officers’ attitudes
towards the technology during trials with
the City of London Police. Officers were
interviewed before and after the trial to
identify any shifts in attitude. The
research found that 83 per cent of police
officers feel that body cameras should be worn. Lead author Dr James
Morgan, from London Met, said: “Contrary to many assumptions
regarding ‘cop culture,’ the officers surveyed and interviewed for this
study were very progressive in their approaches to this new technology.
They wanted greater accountability and oversight and believed in their
own policing practice and wanted this recorded. The findings also point
to a particular context in policing, where actions are often scrutinised
with members of public armed with their own recording equipment.”
Police wanted their own footage to counter negative portrayals found
on social media. However only a minority of officers thought that
cameras will make the police feel safer; or that the cameras will
improve the behaviour of the public who interact with officers. p
Standard for BWV
BSI (British Standards) has launched a voluntary standard for body
worn video, the cameras ever more widely in use by police and others
across the UK.
In October 2016 the Metropolitan Police announced a roll out of
22,000 such cameras. Hence the new standard, BS 8593: 2017 Code
of practice for the deployment and use of Body Worn Video (BWV),
developed by officials and with security and privacy groups – including
the Home Office, the Met, and Big Brother Watch (BBW). BSI says
that the standard delivers a common framework. It provides technical
and operational recommendations for appropriate and proportionate
deployment and use. BSI saw a gap due to the differences between
use of CCTV and BWV, and to avoid a repeat of the privacy concerns
during roll out of CCTV. BWV deployment needs to be based on
legitimate reasons, particularly by doing a privacy impact assessment.
What they say
Anne Hayes, Head of Market Development for Governance and
Resilience at BSI, said: “During the development of BS 8593 it was
agreed that public confidence in the operation and management of BWV
was critical, with balancing safety, security and privacy matters a central
concern. The involvement of both security and privacy groups shows
that standards can deliver industry consensus by aligning agendas to the
public benefit. BWV has an advantage as a security device in terms of
providing the user with a sense of protection; a second pair of eyes and
ears should something go wrong.” Tony Porter, Surveillance Camera
Commissioner, said: “As the use of body worn cameras proliferate they
become more and more engrained as an intrusive capability in the daily
lives of citizens. The important and fundamental balance of preserving
the rights of citizens whilst keeping our communities safe and secure,
are at the heart of the Home Secretary’s Surveillance Camera Code of
Practice which I regulate, the principles within that code are at the heart
of the new standard, and I commend its introduction.” Deployment can
be to safeguard staff; as a deterrent; for evidence capture; promoting
transparency (as for bailiffs or parking wardens); or for training. p
www.professionalsecurity.co.uk SEPTEMBER 2017
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