Controversial Halilfax arrest video prompts letter to police chiefs urging for more use of body-worn cameras

A controversial video showing a man appearing to struggle breathing while being arrested has reignited the discussion over police body-worn cameras.
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An officer was suspended from West Yorkshire Police on Tuesday after a video emerged of a man being arrested in Halifax, with unnecessary force appearing to have been used.

The officer can be heard shouting what sounds like threatening language at the detainee, who has since been released under investigation.

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The force has referred the incident on to independent police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

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In light of the video, the Chair of the National Police Federation for England and Wales has written a letter urging for more body-worn cameras, in order to show the full interaction between officers and the public in any seemingly-controversial clips.

John Apter who has written to his counterpart at the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC), Martin Hewitt, expressing concerns over what he described as a "growing trend of police officers being vilified" in videos captured by the public, broadcast on social media and often picked up by the media.

Mr Apter has now called for a meeting with Mr Hewitt and College of Policing Executive Mike Cunningham to discuss the issue further.

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He said: “These snippets rarely show the full facts. They are purposefully selective in what they show and can be incredibly damaging for public confidence in policing, as inevitably some people will believe the one-sided story often presented.

“At a time when officers are doing their absolute best in difficult and trying circumstances, this unfounded and unfair criticism often leads to trial by media and is totally unacceptable. They are simply damned if they do and damned if they don’t."

He added: “Body-worn video (BWV) is one of the biggest advances in policing in the last decade, as not only does it allow the collection of evidence, it also captures the full context of police interactions and shows the reality of policing.”

Research led by the University of Cambridge's Institution of Criminology shows the use of BWV is associated with a 93 per cent reduction in citizen complaints against police officers.

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They are also used in cases involving assaults against police officers.

Mr Apter continued: “Given the way footage is being used against policing and police officers across all media, I would urge forces to be far more proactive in such circumstances, publicising BWV footage to redress the balance. I believe there is an urgent need for this to happen.

“I fully accept that it might not always be possible to release the BWV footage but doing nothing is not an option. We must take the necessary action to protect police officers from unfair vilification, as well as ensuring that public confidence in policing is not undermined,” he concluded.