Body Worn Video Policy

In all cases, officers shall use their professional judgment with regard to deploying and activating BWV. Use of BWV will be incident specific, and officers will apply common sense and sound professional judgement in support of the principles of best evidence and officer safety. If unsure, there should be a tendency towards using BWV. Officers who do not have an evidence.com account will need to request use of a BWV device from an officer who has. Line managers will be responsible for ensuring all officers know who to contact in these circumstances.

To maximise opportunities to gather evidence, and to ensure officer safety, BWV shall be deployed, worn, and powered on (see section 9 as to activation) throughout the following proactive or planned operations:

• Overt environment patrol on foot for the purposes of preventing and detecting environmental offences such as leaving litter, failing to remove dog fouling, fly posting etc.
• Execution of a warrant to enter premises, seize property or animals or to search for evidence.
• Seizure of a vehicle for waste offences.
• Road traffic operations for the purposes of regulating waste carriage and transfer, scrap metal licensing, taxi licensing, animal transport etc.
• Visiting a location where there is a known threat of aggression.
• Undertaking any duties where there is a reasonable expectation of confrontation.
• Overt visits to licensed premises in response to intelligence / complaints.
• When requested to by another officer who leads an operation or case, or when instructed to by a manager.

A manager can verbally authorise officers to deviate from the above based on an assessment of risk. This authorisation applies to individual operations or tasks.

Where it is worn, carried or otherwise available, BWV should be activated in the following circumstances:

• Observing an animal or its environment in relation to animal welfare offences.
• Obtaining details from a person in order to issue a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN).
• Speaking to the driver of a vehicle stopped during the officer’s duties (eg, taxis or vehicles carrying waste).
• Executing a warrant or entering any premises, land, or vehicle, in pursuance of any legal power to search those premises.
• Conducting searches of premises, land, or vehicles, in accordance with the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 or any other statutory power.
• Interaction that presents or is likely to present a threat to the safety of the officer or other persons present.
• Using a statutory power to direct that a person does something (for example during a health and safety investigation).
• Asking questions of a suspect where it is necessary or advantageous to ask those questions at the time. The suspect should be cautioned and this should be captured by the BWV.
• To capture evidence of the commission of an offence or when an officer considers an interaction may have evidential value.
• When another officer at the same location activates their BWV.
• When requested to by another officer who leads an operation or case, or when instructed by a manager

Officers may apply common sense and deviate from the above. In such circumstances it is expected that the officer will record the reasons for not activating their BWV in their pocketbook and on Uniform.