Dalian Atkinson death: Concern over inconsistent use of police bodycams

The issue has been highlighted following the death of former Aston Villa striker Dalian Atkinson, who was tasered by police outside a house in Telford last month.

It comes after it was announced a "peaceful truth and justice" march will be held in Telford Town Park in the next few weeks in the wake of Mr Atkinson's death.

The circumstances surrounding the death have been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

Two West Mercia Police officers are currently under criminal investigation and have been issued with gross misconduct notices as a result of the probe so far.

Mr Atkinson's family have called for the bodycams to be issued as standard in forces across the country for officers carrying weapons.

It comes after it emerged in the light of the 48-year-old's death that the officers involved from West Mercia Police had not been equipped with body-worn video.

The study reveals many forces have not completed a full roll-out and at least one has said it has no current plans to adopt the cameras, which record what happens during incidents.

Nearly 200 people have declared an interest in the march, which is being organised by a group calling themselves "Justice 4 Dalian Atkinson" and is due to take place on September 17.

West Mercia Police's assistant chief constable Amanda Blakeman said: "While we have not had any direct contact from the organisers, we are aware of plans posted on social media for a protest in Telford later this month.

"We will look to facilitate such an event. We are keen to work with the organisers and would encourage them to get in touch with us so that we can help enable their event."

Despite some top officers describing the technology as "effective" and "vital" to 21st century policing, many forces have not completed a full roll-out and at least one has said it has no current plan to adopt the cameras, which record what happens during incidents.

The issue has been highlighted following the death of former football star Mr Atkinson after he was tasered in Telford on August 15.

A criminal investigation is under way, but following the 48-year-old's death it emerged that the officers involved from West Mercia Police had not been equipped with body worn video.

Mr Atkinson's family has since called for all taser-equipped officers to be issued with bodycams as standard.

The ex-Aston Villa player's nephew Fabian Atkinson has called for taser officers to wear bodycams as standard.

He said: "If they have a weapon and they're going to discharge that weapon, then they need a camera to record that."

But the College of Policing said there was "no specific guidance" for issuing armed officers with bodycams, although it did issue advice on 'body worn video' (BWV) use in 2014.

Both the Home Office and the National Police Chiefs' Council have said the use of BWVs is an "operational" decision for each force.

But Mr Vaz, Labour MP for Leicester East, said: "The complete lack of consistency in the various police forces' approach to body-worn cameras and taser should raise alarm bells following the tragic death of Dalian Atkinson.

"We need transparency from forces and clear guidance from national bodies, but organisations like the College of Policing are still unable to provide the leadership needed on these difficult issues.

"The Home Office must take action to ensure there is a far more co-ordinated national approach to the use of tasers, which should be treated with the same respect as firearms. It isn't right that crossing an arbitrary border within the UK would present you with completely separate policies on the use of potentially deadly weapons."

At West Mercia Police, Assistant Chief Constable Amanda Blakeman said the force was "committed to routine use of video recording devices by officers on patrol".

But she added that officers did not routinely use BWV and they were looking at their options.

She said: "It is our intention to find a single solution that meets the needs of patrol officers as well as those who perform specialist roles, including those who routinely carry taser.

"We are fully aware of NPCC's guidance on this subject and are working with the national leads for BWV, taser, pursuit and armed policing."

West Mercia is among some forces who have said there are still issues with the technology to iron out, including Devon and Cornwall Police, which said they needed to solve a "data storage" problem before considering uptake of BWV.

Other forces like Staffordshire have moved ahead with bodycams.

Chief Inspector Neil Hulme of Staffordshire Police, who is the force lead on bodycams, said the technology had been rolled out to "all uniformed officers, including those who are taser trained", with 550 pool cameras ready for use.

He said: "Body-worn video is very effective, it captures events as they happen, often defuses potentially violent situations and provides speedier justice for victims as offenders are more likely to plead guilty."

A Home Office spokesman said: "Body-worn video can be a powerful tool and we fully support exploiting new technology to help cut crime wherever possible.

"The College of Policing published interim operational guidance in July 2014 which recognises the role of BWV in supporting transparency and confidence in the police."

The national picture has revealed a spectrum of responses by forces on the issue.

In Leicestershire, all frontline officers are equipped with the cameras, while in London the Metropolitan Police is rolling out 22,000 cameras in a programme which is expected to be complete by summer 2017.

North Yorkshire Police said that while it had used bodycams in the past, it was not currently investing in the technology.