Question to the Home Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the need to update the College of Policing’s body worn camera guidance (1) to reduce officers’ discretion about its use, and (2) to discourage the practice of turning away from an incident to avoid recording wrongdoing by a fellow officer.

The vast majority of police officers act with integrity at all times and Body Worn Video is a vital tool which helps protect them and the public. The College of Policing has improved its guidance on BWV use with Authorised Professional Practice (APP) guidance published in July 2020. These standards will continue to be periodically updated by the College to keep pace with any issues that arise.

In addition, the Government will consider how to increase the value of BWV in protecting officers and the public.