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METROPOLITAN Police Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe was cautioned by politicians yesterday for announcing the rollout of body cameras before the results of small-scale trials were known.
Sir Bernard said he had given the go-ahead because it was “important for policing to be transparent.”
But London Assembly Labour group leader Len Duvall said there were “unanswered questions” over the scheme to give 16,000 front-line police the recording devices by March 2016.
And he said it was “concerning” that the rollout had been announced before possible concerns with the trial could be discussed with community and civil rights groups.
Labour now wants answers from the commissioner explaining why he had “pre-empted” the trial results.
The £9 million plan was hatched following the shooting by Met marksmen of Mark Duggan in 2011, which prompted massive summer riots across the capital.
However, concerns remain over filming by police officers, who would have discretion over when to switch cameras on and off.
