MPS begins custody vans CCTV roll-out

Police custody vehicles in London will soon be equipped with CCTV, the commissioner of the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) has confirmed.

Speaking on Tuesday (July 28), Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe said that every London borough will have at least one van with CCTV for transporting detainees to custody.

So far 121 of 129 vans have been fitted, with the remainder of the fleet due for completion in the coming months. The cameras were previously trialled in Lambeth and Haringey in 2012.

In a move which the force says will improve transparency and public confidence the vans will be equipped with five video cameras, three microphones and two monitors.

All future custody vans commissioned by the MPS will have this feature as standard.

The system turns on when the ignition is started and audio and visual recording commences immediately. Both systems continue recording for 30 minutes after the ignition is switched off.

Recordings are captured on a digital video recorder secured inside the vehicle and are easily downloaded by specially trained officers and staff.

All data will be automatically overwritten after a minimum 22 days. If the material is required for a criminal investigation it will be downloaded from the system and stored as required.

Sir Bernard said: “I made a promise that we would do this after concerns were raised by a number of bereaved families.

“I’m pleased that the installation of the technology in the vans is nearing completion. The footage provided by these cameras will provide a great opportunity to increase our transparency and ensure we’re doing our job properly.

“This equipment will be able to make a record of some of the very challenging circumstances police officers are asked to deal with on a daily basis and then demonstrate, more effectively, the reality of policing our capital and our officers’ professionalism.”