Cronin House
245 Church Street
London
N9 9HW
Telephone: 020 8803 0255
Membership enquiries: membership@poauk.org.uk
General enquiries:
general@poauk.org.uk
The Executive has been made aware that there is some confusion over the employer mandating the wearing of body worn video cameras.
New guidance has recently been published alongside a new framework, to accompany the roll out of new body worn video cameras. The new guidance states the following –
As a minimum all operational staff within band 3 – 5 within the closed estate will collect a camera from the camera docking station at the beginning of their shift. When removed from the camera docking station the camera will enter ‘stand-by’ mode and commence a ‘pre-record’ function, the footage captured by ‘pre-record’ will only be saved when camera recording is activated by the user.
Within the open estate, those roles designated by the Governor with the Local Security Strategy (LSS) as being required to wear a BWVC must collect a camera from the camera docking station at the beginning of their shift. When removed from the camera docking station the camera will enter ‘stand-by’ mode and commence a ‘pre-record’ function, the footage captured by ‘pre-record’ will only be saved when camera recording is activated by the user.
This is a change from the previous policy which mandated the wearing of a camera to designated roles across the closed and open estates, rather than directing ALL operational staff must wear one.
The NEC were in favour of the original roll out of body worn video cameras, as part of the wider safety programme. We were consulted over the new guidance and framework, but the consultation was not carried out correctly. We will continue to have open dialogue with the employer over various elements of the new policy and hope to improve it further in due course.
Yours sincerely
STEVE GILLAN
General Secretary
Cronin House
245 Church Street
London
N9 9HW
Telephone: 020 8803 0255
Membership enquiries: membership@poauk.org.uk
General enquiries:
general@poauk.org.uk
Representing over 30,000 Prison, Correctional and Secure Psychiatric Workers, the POA is the largest UK Union in this sector, able to trace its roots back more than 100 years.