Mental Health Units (Use of Force) Act 2018

Video recording

12 Police body cameras

(1) If a police officer is going to a mental health unit on duty that involves assisting staff who work in that unit, the officer must take a body camera if reasonably practicable.

(2) While in a mental health unit on duty that involves assisting staff who work in that unit, a police officer who has a body camera there must wear it and keep it operating at all times when reasonably practicable.

(3) Subsection (2) does not apply if there are special circumstances at the time that justify not wearing the camera or keeping it operating.

(4) A failure by a police officer to comply with the requirements of subsection (1) or (2) does not of itself make the officer liable to criminal or civil proceedings.

(5) But if those requirements appear to the court or tribunal to be relevant to any question arising in criminal or civil proceedings, they must be taken into account in determining that question.

(6) In this section—

• “body camera” means a device that operates so as to make a continuous audio and video recording while being worn;

• “police officer” means—

  (a)

  a  member of a police force maintained under section 2 of the Police Act 1996,

  (b)

  a member of the metropolitan police force,

  (c)

  a member of the City of London police force,

  (d)

  a special constable appointed under section 27 of the Police Act 1996, or

  (e)

  a member or special constable of the British Transport Police Force.