FOI 123/26 BWF Operational Use
Date: 25/02/26
Enquiry Reference: 123-26
I write in connection with regards to your Freedom of Information request. Your request is below with our response.
I would be grateful if you could provide the following information for your police force:
- The date when body-worn video cameras were first introduced or piloted for operational use.
- Whether the rollout was phased or implemented force-wide from the outset.
- If the rollout was phased, the start and end dates of the rollout phases.
- The date when body-worn video cameras became fully operational or routinely used across the force.
If exact dates are not available, approximate dates (for example, month and year) would be sufficient.
The Body Worn Video camera project became live in on 31st March 2015 at Redcar and following this at all other Local Police Authority’s by 1st June. The roll out was initially to Initial Response Teams with further access to Operational Support Unit.
The force had a total of 100 cameras (bookable / shared units) which were provided by Reveal Media and these are set up at the four main Local Police Authority HQ’s.
Deployment to regional Firearms agreed July 2017, another 96 units.
There was growth of about 100 per year and the overall volume of 1st generation cameras grew to about 500.
The 1st generation contract ended September 2020, with the 2nd generation of body cameras contract being signed in February 2020. The roll out was phased to replace the 1st generation and rolling out the new hardware and software.
It started with the pilot (test environment) starting in March 2020, the live environment being built in April 2020.
The pilot period, which included issue equipment to selected officers, ran for 40 days between March and April 2020.
Equipment list as follows:
- 60 x camera’s
- 60 x klikfast mounts
- 60 x licences
- 5 x 14-slot docking stations
- 5 x Dock Controllers and RFID readers
The second phase/ roll out of the 2nd generation ran for 43 days between July 2020 and August 2020. This was phased based of station and location.
Equipment list as follows:
- 528 x camera’s
- 528 x klikfast mounts
- 528 x licences
- 37 x 14-slot docking stations
- 2 x Dock Controllers and RFID readers
This phase included the delivery of the operational environment of Video Manager.
The final phase was project sign off and go live in BAU. This occurred over 2 days (31/08/2020 – 01/09/2020).
Having made enquiries within the Force above is all the information we hold. Please note that all statistical data supplied in relation to Freedom of Information requests is a snapshot of data held at the time the request was received by the Freedom of Information office and is subject to constant change/updates.
The Cleveland Police response to your request is unique and it should be noted that Police Forces do not use generic systems or identical procedures to capture and record data therefore responses from Cleveland Police should not be used as a comparison with any other force response you receive.
If you are not satisfied with this response or any actions taken in dealing with your request, you have the right to request an independent internal review of your case under our review procedure. The Freedom of Information Code of Practice (see below link) states that a request for internal review should be made within 20 working days of the date on this response or 40 working days if extenuating circumstances to account for the delay can be evidenced. Public authorities are not obliged to accept internal reviews after this date.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/freedom-of-information-code-of-practice
Yours sincerely
Information Rights Decision Maker