Police forces should release officers's body cam footage of clashes with suspects and controversial stop-and-searches, the Home Secretary has demanded. Priti Patel has written to Mark Hewitt, chair of the National Police Chiefs' Council, backing a campaign to release police body-worn video cameras (BWV) to protect officers from 'unfair criticism' on social media. Ms Patel argued that online critics often slam officers even though they have 'little understanding' of the situations that officers face, the Daily Express reported. 'I would encourage forces to be proactive in considering where BWV footage can be released to demonstrate the good work officers do and to show that selective footage can be misleading.' But Met Police Deputy Commissioner Sir Steve House said forces should not release police body cam footage, saying it may make them 'look bad'.

Source: Daily Mail September 12, 2020 09:40 UTC