Body-Worn Camera Trial at Imperial College London
The Community Safety and Security team officers are trialling the use of Body-Worn Cameras (BWC), starting in August, to enhance the safety and wellbeing of our community.
BWCs offer an additional layer of protection on top of CCTV, for both staff and the wider university community, helping us respond to incidents more effectively and transparently. In addition, they deter inappropriate behaviour, reduce incidents, and support early intervention - making campus safer for all.
Purpose and Benefits
The Body-Worn Cameras aim to:
- Enhance safety and wellbeing for students, staff, and visitors.
- Reduce anti-social behaviour and deter inappropriate conduct.
- Support officers in challenging situations, especially where incidents involve aggression or abuse.
- Provide clear, unbiased evidence to help resolve complaints or disputes.
- Support Protect Duty compliance and reflect our proactive approach to public space security and incident readiness.
In addition, BWCs will soon feature real-time translation in over 150 languages, helping officers communicate with our diverse international community.
Privacy and Data Handling
We take your privacy seriously. The use of BWCs follows strict policies in line with:
- Data Protection Act 2018 and UK GDPR
- Human Rights Act 1998
- Imperial’s CCTV Code of Practice
Key points:
- Cameras are only activated in specific situations such as responding to incidents or when an officer feels at risk.
- All staff using BWCs have received training in respectful use, privacy, and legal obligations, ensuring appropriate and professional conduct.
- Footage is securely stored on encrypted servers and can only be accessed by authorised staff.
- Activated recordings are automatically deleted after 30 days unless required as evidence or by legal request.
- No footage remains on the camera after the officer’s shift.
What to Expect if You See a Camera
- Officers will always wear BWCs visibly as part of their uniform.
- A verbal announcement will be made when recording begins, e.g.,
“I am wearing and using a Body-Worn Camera. This incident is now being recorded with video and audio.” - Officers can pause or divert the camera in situations where privacy is appropriate, for example if someone wishes to share sensitive information without being filmed.
How does the camera work?
The camera records the footage onto an internal storage device. At the end of the officer's shift the footage is uploaded to a secure location so it can be used as evidence if required.
When the camera is turned on it will start capturing a rolling 30 second loop of video and audio. This 30 seconds of video and audio is not saved by the camera unless the officer activates the camera to record. When the camera is activated to record, that previous 30 seconds of video and audio is included in the recording.
Frequently Asked Questions
- When are cameras recording?
- Can I opt out of being recorded?
- Who has access to footage?
- How long is footage kept?
- Where is footage kept?
- What data protection measures are in place
- How can I see footage of myself?
- Can I make a complaint about being filmed?
- Can footage be accessed after 31 days in the event of an incident occurring?
- Will Diligence staff based at White City be taking part in the trial?
Cameras are only activated during incidents or when officers feel there is a risk to safety. The Axon cameras are fitted with visible LED indicators and an audible tone which signals recording is active.
If you do not wish to be filmed, inform the officer. They may be able to divert the camera or use audio-only recording where appropriate.
Only named, authorised personnel can view recordings. Strict audit logs and access controls are in place.
Footage is automatically deleted after 30 days unless needed for evidence or legal purposes.
Recordings are held securely on the BWC provider’s secure and encrypted cloud service.
Access to footage is strictly limited to authorised personnel within the Community Safety and Security team. All access is logged and auditable.
Retention periods are governed by Imperial's approved data retention schedule. By default, footage will be retained for 30 days, unless it is flagged for investigation, legal purposes, or safeguarding needs.
Deletion is automatic after the retention period unless marked as evidential material. All deletions are carried out through secure, encrypted systems managed via Axon’s platform, which meets ISO 27001 standards.
You can request access via a Subject Access Request under data protection legislation.
Yes. Complaints can be submitted via the student complaints procedure or by contacting the security team directly.
If an incident occurs, this would warrant a formal witness statement from the officer present at the time. Where necessary, footage can be downloaded and stored as evidential material for a longer period, depending on the situation and circumstances.
The Body-Worn Cameras will be deployed on our Imperial staff only at present.
More information
The full Body Worn Camera Code of Practice can be found here.
Feedback and Contact
We welcome feedback on the Body-Worn Camera trial. Please email security.control@imperial.ac.uk with any questions or comments.