Scotland’s police force has agreed a three-year national contract with Motorola Solutions UK to implement body worn video (BWV) cameras for frontline officers and staff, which will cover 10,500 Home Office-approved BWV cameras and supporting back-office systems.
Motorola Solutions UK Ltd has secured the £13.3m contract and work has now started to design, build and implement the new system, with 10,500 VB400 cameras to be rolled out on a phased basis across Scotland.
Police Scotland is the last major police force in the UK to roll out BWVs for all operational officers. The national roll-out was a key recommendation of an independent review of police complaints in 2020 by Lady Elish Angiolini, who was appointed new Lord Clerk Register of Scotland in October 2023. The force’s national public consultation on BWV received more than 9,000 responses and showed overwhelming support for its introduction, with 81% agreeing that it would increase public confidence in policing.
Every frontline uniformed police officer including special constables will be expected to wear a video camera on their uniform while on duty and to activate it when using police powers, whether it be a stop and search, an arrest of a suspect or executing a search warrant.
Police staff in custody suites will also use the videos when interacting with people in custody. Officers and custody staff will begin using BWVs once the technical infrastructure is established, operational processes embedded, and training is complete.
Scotland’s Deputy Chief Constable Jane Connors said: “The introduction of BWVs will transform policing in Scotland. It will also improve the quality of evidence presented in court to deliver faster justice for victims by increasing early guilty pleas and reducing time spent at court for victims, witnesses and police officers.
“We know there is strong public and partner support for body worn video in Scotland and we will continue to explain policing’s use of this important technology, including assurance around data privacy and human rights considerations. We also want to maximise the benefits of body worn videos for the wider criminal justice system to improve efficiencies and experiences for victims.”
According to Police Scotland, the new system is expected to work smoothly in areas with lower quality network connections, including rural locations, and it is investing in its network capability to support this. (Source: Police Oracle)
