Islington cops to record incidents with body cameras

Islington police officers will now patrol the streets with body warn video cameras.

Sgt Tim Owen with a body worn video camera at Islington Police Station. Picture: Met Police - Credit: Archant

The scheme was officially launched at Tolpuddle Street police station yesterday.

The Met claims the cameras “offer greater transparency for those in front of the camera as well as behind it”.

The cops say the cameras, which began to be rolled out in London late last year, have proved “particularly successful” in domestic abuse cases with an increase in early guilty pleas from offenders who know they have been recorded.

If someone wants to view footage taken of them they can request, in writing, to obtain it under freedom of information and data protection laws.

Supt Nick Davies, who is leading the roll-out in Islington, said: “This is a fantastic piece of technology that will really assist officers dealing with a wide variety of incidents. It will show, in detail, the scenes they face and the behaviour of the people involved. It will also assist in improving public confidence in policing by providing an unbiased record of interactions between police and the public.”

Do body warn video cameras offer greater transparency? Email our opinion section: gazette.letters@archant.co.uk