Commissioner’s office scrutinises body worn camera footage

Police and Crime Commissioner Jane Mudd has held her quarterly meeting to examine Gwent Police’s use force when detaining suspects, and the application of its stop and search powers.

The Commissioner’s legitimacy scrutiny panel brings together members of the Commissioner’s office, Gwent Police’s independent advisory group, senior police officers, and professionals working for the youth offending service, to review body worn camera footage. The panel reviews incidents where force, which includes voluntary handcuffing and the use of Taser, or stop and search powers, were used.

During the session the panel:

• Reviewed several incidents where mental health issues were present. Officers were praised by the panel for the sensitive way they dealt with situations and positive feedback was provided. Opportunities for joint learning between the police and social services were identified and a meeting is being coordinated to take this forward.
• Watched a dip sample of body worn footage from stop and search incidents to ensure that they were necessary and proportionate.
• Identified some small points of learning which will be fed back to officers.

Police and Crime Commissioner Jane Mudd said: “The panel provides an independent layer of scrutiny, identifying examples of good work, but also incidents where further learning is required.

“All opportunities for learning and improvements are fed back to senior police officers and helps to ensure that processes are being carried out in a way that is open, honest and transparent.

“It is another way that my office is working to provide independent scrutiny of Gwent Police to ensure that the force is providing the best possible service to our residents.”

You can view reports from panel meetings here.