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The imminent introduction of body-worn cameras has sparked confusion about when officers should start recording.
Standard procedure as it stands is to press record only when police powers are used, with a mechanism in place which means footage from 30 seconds before that point will be captured.
But the police watchdog has told MSPs the point at which an officer is allocated an inquiry would be an “obvious one to start recording”.
Police Investigation and Review Commissioner (PIRC) chiefs said when officers attempt to de-escalate situations – particularly on Friday and Saturday nights – this can ultimately end up with them having to use force.
If the watchdog then receives a complaint about the incident, they argue that having footage of the lead-up to the situation would be helpful for their response.
At a recent meeting of Holyrood’s justice committee, PIRC said “consultation and discussion” on the standard operating procedure is in the early stages.
Police Scotland awarded the £13.3 million contract last year to deliver 10,500 cameras over the next three years to Motorola Solutions.
As 1919 exclusively revealed, that rollout of the equipment had been delayed by several months.
It has now emerged that training will start in three divisions from March 24, but will not be complete until June 2027.
Phil Chapman, PIRC’s director of operations, told MSPs: “We have invited ourselves into some of the conversations about body-worn video, because I suspect – this is not an overestimation – that it will be game changing for the PIRC.”
But he said the watchdog is “very keen to understand” when recording should start, and that it is seeking clarification from the police.
“As it is currently articulated, the moment to start recording is when police powers are used,” he said.
“We need clarity about what that will look like because, when an officer is deployed to an incident, the point at which they are allocated the inquiry would be an obvious one to start recording.”
He added: “We are keen to see exactly what that will look like for operational officers.
“When they police the night-time economy anywhere in Scotland of a Friday or Saturday night, for example, there is sometimes a lot of engagement to try to de-escalate situations that, ultimately, end up with officers having to use force.
“We would like to see exactly what happens in the lead-up to such situations, because when we get non-criminal complaints they are invariably about how people were spoken to and the manner of the engagement.
“It would be helpful for us to understand the stage at which officers turn on the body-worn video.”
Chapman also pointed out the safeguards in place for individuals by deleting any footage after 31 days.
He added: “There has been consultation and discussion on the standard operating procedure, which is in the early stages. Police Scotland has a comprehensive view from the PIRC about how to take it forward.”
Scottish Conservative community safety spokesperson Sharon Dowey, who quizzed the PIRC over the procedural aspects of body-worn video, said: “Police officers have been messed around when it comes to the introduction of body-worn cameras.
“The least they deserve is some certainty and clear guidance on how to use them when they finally arrive. They need to be able to hit the ground running.
“This process must be robust, and led by police officers themselves, who know best when situations are likely to escalate or require more evidence-gathering.”