BODY-WORN video footage should be released when appropriate to \u201cput out the full context\u201d of an incident when the public post short clips of police interactions on social media.<\/p>\n
That is the view of South Yorkshire Police Federation Chairman Steve Kent, who said he does not think the public will stop posting such videos.<\/p>\n
He explained: \u201cUnfortunately we\u2019re never going to stop this at the source, because this is society now. Everybody films everything. All we\u2019ve asked for is the force\u2019s ability and willingness to put out the full, wider context as and when they can, to provide that context.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll the time we see a five-second video where it doesn\u2019t show the full 25, 30 seconds of an incident. The force should, quite rightly, retain editorial rights and put footage out when it\u2019s proportionate to do so and not put them out when it\u2019s not appropriate to do so for whatever reason.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut forces across the country need to be more proactive in putting out the wider context to the media. That can pour a lot of fire on these five-second clips.\u201d<\/p>\n
Steve said he thought body-worn video was \u201cthe best thing ever to land\u201d as it showed events from police officers\u2019 perspectives.<\/p>\n
The Chair of the National Police Chiefs\u2019 Council (NPCC), Chief Constable Martin Hewitt, has described the clips as a \u201chideous phenomenon\u201d.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cThere\u2019s a real opportunity to get some guidance out quickly here\u2026 to make sure everyone understands the parameters. It\u2019s also about the mindset that we are going to do everything that we can do positively to counter some of the nonsense that we see.\u201d<\/p>\n