Use of police body cameras sees 93% drop in complaints against officers

Complaints against police officers have dropped massively ever since a push was made to increase the use of body cameras.

A study by the University of Cambridge found a staggering 93% decrease in complaints made against officers clearly wearing the cameras, which record what happens during police incidents, compared to the previous year.

Researchers found that the number of complaints lodged against officers dropped from 1,539 to 113 in 12 months.

They said the result “assumes that BWCs (body-worn cameras) reduce officer non-compliance with procedures, improve suspects’ demeanour, or both”.

The report stated: "Cooling-down potentially volatile police/public encounters to the point where official grievances against the police have virtually vanished may well lead to the conclusion that the use of BWCs indeed signals a profound sea change in modern policing.”

The report pointed out that the results give no evidence of other areas in policing and that the BWCs do not necessarily have a long-term effect on general police “legitimacy”.

It said: “Even if BWCs can lead to perfectly executed police procedures… what happens before or after the encounter might still be perceived as unfair, racist, unprofessional, or malicious.”

Decrease: Complaints against officers have dropped by 93% (Rex)

Commenting on the report, lead researcher Dr Barak Ariel said: "We couldn’t analyse exactly what happened in every police incident involved, but we think the change has more to do with officers’ behaviour.

"They are the ones well-trained to deal with these situations and know how to behave, so now there is a tool to make sure they are doing their job.

"But we think the cameras can also reduce frivolous complaints and false allegations that are made even when officers have done nothing wrong.

"In the study we saw that all complaints went down - in some areas they went down to zero.”

The study comes only a few weeks after it was revealed that there is a “complete lack of consistency” in the use of BWCs by officers armed with Tasers.

A Press Association survey of the UK’s 45 territorial forces showed that many have not completed a full roll-out of the equipment among staff, and at least one has said it has no current plan to adopt the cameras.

Both the Home Office and the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) have said the use of BWCs is an “operational” decision for each force.

Top pic: PA