It was hoped video would increase transparency in policing, but BBC has uncovered 150 reports of failings.
Why is it even possible to turn off or delete footage from these cameras? I would have thought they would be treated like black box recorders - always on, always recording, and only reviewed when absolutely necessary.
This is like a failure of both technology and policing culture.
Footage shouldn’t be deletable. However officers should be able to turn the cameras off and on (but it should be clear to those around them whether they are recording or not). Officers have to deal with victims and witnesses, many of whom may be afraid to talk or ask for help knowing they are being recorded. On a 12 hour shift they are also likely to need the ocassional bit of privacy to use the loo.
they are also likely to need the ocassional bit of privacy to use the loo.
The footage is only reviewed when necessary. So there’s an extra incentive to not fuck up and require a review.
Maybe turning them off should have a delay to it? Like you turn it off and have to wait 30 seconds or something for it to actually turn off?
Why is it even possible to turn off or delete footage from these cameras?
I mean, police have a lot of privileged access to various locations. If they think that there’s an emergency, they can enter your house, say. I think that I’d want to have the technical ability to have footage of that deleted.
EDIT: Also, while I can understand not wanting deletion to be available to an individual officer if the camera is acting as a check on them, I don’t think that the main reason that police carry cameras is as a check on police. I think that it’s partly because people make false claims about police officers (e.g. “you planted those drugs on me!”) and if there’s video footage, that can disprove that. I think that part of it is gathering evidence. And I think that part of it is as a check on procedure, to figure out how things go wrong.
It should also be a major red flag if you do this.
Like claiming reimbursement from your employer without supplying a receipt; questions would be asked.
