The Metropolitan Police have carried out 6,225 stop and searches since January 2022 without using body-worn video (BWV) cameras, according to data obtained by the Liberal Democrats.
In 2021, a report by the Government’s Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities recommended that BWV cameras should be turned on whenever an officer believes an encounter will lead to a stop and search, or as soon as is practicable.
The report also suggested that if officers do not turn the cameras on, they should be able to explain why in writing and this explanation should be available to the person who was stopped.
The Liberal Democrats said that although only 2% of stop and searches were carried out without BWV cameras, the Met should be aiming for all encounters to be recorded if it is to succeed in rebuilding trust in communities across London.
Liberal Democrat police and crime spokesperson Caroline Pidgeon AM said: ‘We have seen over the last few decades how the disproportionate use of stop and search has led to decreased levels of trust between the police and communities.
‘Stop and search is still being used three times more on black people in London than it is on white people.
‘Ensuring cameras are switched on for all stop and searches, while not a fix in itself, might go some way to increasing trust and transparency in the Met’s use of stop and search.’
