London’s Metropolitan Police officers are to trial the use of body-worn video cameras on their uniforms as part of a plan to boost both transparency and accelerate convictions and are designed to capture crime scene evidence.
The pilot scheme will see 500 body-worn video cameras distributed to police officers across 10 London boroughs. Firearm officers will also use them for training.
Camden is the first to start using the cameras, with further trials in Barnet, Bexley, Bromley, Brent, Croydon, Ealing, Havering, Hillingdon and Lewisham.
Video footage will be stored on file for a month unless it is needed as evidence in a case.
Trials in the use of law enforcement body-worn video cameras have shown that people are more likely to plead guilty, knowing that officers have captured the evidence on video, resulting in less costly legal trials and a more efficient criminal justice system.
If successful, it will be rolled out across Britain’s biggest police force.
RTS is a CPS approved supplier of courtroom audiovisual technology, including both temporary and permanent installation of video conferencing, networking and hardware for trials, inquests and hearings in London and around the UK.
