Hundreds of Metropolitan Police officers are to be equipped with body cameras as part of a new trial.
The cameras are already used by police outside London and are activated by officers whenever they’re in contact with the public.
Footage can be used as evidence in court and can also help support or disprove complaints against officers.
Met Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe says the cameras could make the police more accountable and prove the force has nothing to hide in how it polices the capital.
At Wednesday’s Mayor’s Question Time, Mayor Boris Johnson was urged to fund “a full out trial of this tech” by London Assembly Member Roger Evans.
Mr Evans said a trial in Staffordshire coincided with a “significant” reduction of complaints against officers.
The Mayor told Assembly Members that he supported the Met’s trial and that being caught on camera was a fact of life in the age of the smartphone.
He added that public servants needed to be willing to be accountable and that the cameras being trialled would play a part in boosting public confidence in the Met.
