Public to scrutinise police 'use of force' videos

Response officers in the Thames Valley must pass a "use of force" test every year

There is to be increased public oversight into the "use of force" by police across Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire, in the hope of improving trust and confidence.

Thames Valley Police is recruiting volunteers to review random body-worn videos where officers have used physical restraint tactics, tasers or other means they thought were needed to protect themselves or the public.

Chief Constable Jason Hogg said members of the public have already been driving improvements by checking videos of officers stopping and searching suspects, with the initiative now being expanded.

He said: "We want more volunteers to come forward from all our communities in order to scrutinise how our officers are using force."

Chief Constable Jason Hogg said his officers must "justify" their actions "every time" they use force.

The force has previously admitted it had been disproportionate when stopping and searching black people.

In February, Assistant Chief Constable Dennis Murray said officers were being educated to improve things in the future.

The new expanded public scrutiny panels will provide feedback to individual officers on how they dealt with specific incidents and also help inform best practice across the force.

Chief Constable Hogg said: "In the last year we arrested more people, stopped and searched more people on the streets and charged more offenders.

"That is a good thing. But I think what the public is concerned about is not just what we do, but how we do it."

He wants all officers to use the powers they have with confidence, but said they must "justify" their actions "every time" they use force.

In cases where too much force is used or used in the wrong circumstances, he promised swift investigations and action against officers if misconduct was proved.

Assistant Chief Constable Dennis Murray has been leading work on a new race action plan

The Home Office published data last year about all the times police in England and Wales used force against the public between April 2022 and March 2023.

This includes the use of firearms, handcuffs, batons, dogs and Tasers.

Forceful tactics were recorded being used 28,332 times in the Thames Valley, with black people being subjects of 3,615 of the cases.

That makes up about 13% of the total, while just 4% of people in the region are black.