In car recording and the police

[Xatu]

Something I've often wondered, and not seen an answered, is what a driver's rights are when it comes to the police at the roadside (for example) wanting to see your own camera footage? I'd assume they'd need a reason which could stand up to scrutiny ("he passed us at 130mph, so we wanted to see what else he'd been up to") or a higher level of authority (not god - he doesn't exist).

I'm guessing that someone here knows or has experience?

[996Keef]

A micro SD card will pass through you in 2-3 days

[Xatu]

996Keef said:

A micro SD card will pass through you in 2-3 days

Genuinely made me laugh aloud!

[Boosted LS1]

Will it's memory be wiped clean?

[Graveworm]

Xatu said:

Something I've often wondered, and not seen an answered, is what a driver's rights are when it comes to the police at the roadside (for example) wanting to see your own camera footage? I'd assume they'd need a reason which could stand up to scrutiny ("he passed us at 130mph, so we wanted to see what else he'd been up to") or a higher level of authority (not god - he doesn't exist).

I'm guessing that someone here knows or has experience?

It's a bit of fudge. Firstly they need to think it is evidence of an offence. They can seize anything that is evidence of an offence - if they are legally on premises (which thanks to Lord Pickles also includes open spaces and public areas), but they can't go into the car to get the evidence. However they can of course seize the whole car, take the camera and then return the car

It's no longer any good putting it in your pockets, that used to be a loophole, but they can search you upon arrest for evidence of the offence and now can arrest you in order to use that power. So as above swallowing is the go to, it could backfire big time in extreme you get arrested for perverting the course of justice, then you are in a HMRC glass toilet for up to 4 days . It may explain why my Blackvue dashcam has a one touch format button.

Edited by Graveworm on Saturday 18th August 10:58

[Second Best]

Graveworm said:

It may explain why my Blackvue dashcam has a one touch format button.

Surely that would still be PCOJ? Friendly plod asks you for your dashcam footage, you format it, and then you get nicked for PCOJ and have to stump up the cost for some data expert to recover the footage?

[Shuvi McTupya]

Second Best said:

Surely that would still be PCOJ? Friendly plod asks you for your dashcam footage, you format it, and then you get nicked for PCOJ and have to stump up the cost for some data expert to recover the footage?

Maybe Not if the eject button is right next to the format button..

[Mr E]

BenjiS said:

In-camera formatting isn’t a secure erase anyway. It’ll just wipe the file allocation table, but the recorded files will still be on the card. Any half decent computer forensics bod would be able to recover them easily.

I’d want an overwrite of all sectors with all 0’s, followed by all 1’s. Followed by pseudo random generation.

And even then I’d bury it under a heavy rock.

[vikingaero]

Oh Christ! More of the self-incrimination warrior/ dashcamwker type talk. If you are that scared to man up then don't install a dashcam.

Think about it? Let's say you killed someone in an accident/incident. Are you the type to worm out of responsibilities or are you the type to take it on the chin and help those investigating and relatives get closure. We all make small mistakes and one day that could lead to something more serious. That's the reason why there's an explosion in the use of dashcams - because more than half of Society are Chavscum.

[Peter911]

That's why I chose the Blackvue without GPS or speed recording

[Durzel]

Peter911 said:

That's why I chose the Blackvue without GPS or speed recording

Speed can be measured using landmarks.

Don't drive like a tool and it becomes a non-issue. If you drive like a tool then you deserve what you get.

Police aren't going to seize dashcam footage unless it forms part of a serious investigation (e.g. not run of the mill speeding stuff where they have their own equipment to measure you, or even just their statement)

[Shuvi McTupya]

vikingaero said:

Oh Christ! More of the self-incrimination warrior/ dashcamwker type talk. If you are that scared to man up then don't install a dashcam.

Think about it? Let's say you killed someone in an accident/incident. Are you the type to worm out of responsibilities or are you the type to take it on the chin and help those investigating and relatives get closure.

I think it might be more to with the scenario where you get stopped for speeding and the police review your historic footage and find more incidences of speeding.

You may or may not get charged for those historic incidences or a judge may or may not decide that based on that footage you are actually a habitual speeder and maybe deserve harsher treatment than just three points and a 'sensible' fine.

I don't know how likely either of those scenarios are but i do know that the police love it when they are handed evidence on a plate, and when people confess to things that they would get away with otherwise.

[Graveworm]

Second Best said:

Surely that would still be PCOJ? Friendly plod asks you for your dashcam footage, you format it, and then you get nicked for PCOJ and have to stump up the cost for some data expert to recover the footage?

I wasn't advocating doing it, I would definitely not advocate doing it after the police have asked for it. I was just saying it is a bit of coincidence that the camera only has one button which turns on the wi-fi or if you press and hold formats the card. There are lots of other functions that would probably be more useful.

[Motoring Nomad]

vikingaero said:

Oh Christ! More of the self-incrimination warrior/ dashcamwker type talk. If you are that scared to man up then don't install a dashcam.

Think about it? Let's say you killed someone in an accident/incident. Are you the type to worm out of responsibilities or are you the type to take it on the chin and help those investigating and relatives get closure. We all make small mistakes and one day that could lead to something more serious. That's the reason why there's an explosion in the use of dashcams - because more than half of Society are Chavscum.

It was a simple question, nothing more. I'm not sure what's wrong with wanting to understand the limit of police seizure powers. There's a world of difference between killing someone and plod deciding that he'd like to look at your camera because you drive a fast car and he wants to look for evidence of potential speeding.

[Red 4]

In simple terms if a constable is lawfully on premises (and the term premises includes vehicles) then he can seize evidence relating to an offence he is investigating - or any other offence.

So, essentially, yes. They could seize your dashcam.

[4rephill]

Graveworm said:

It's a bit of fudge. Firstly they need to think it is evidence of They can seize anything that is evidence of an offence if they are legally on premises (which thanks to Lord Pickles also includes open spaces and public areas), but they can't go into the car to get the evidence...........

Can't see that being right.

If the Police believe an offence has been committed, then they have the right to search for supporting evidence.

For example, if they believe a vehicle is involved in drugs, they search the vehicle for drugs.

If they believe a vehicle has a connection to burglaries or thefts from vehicles, they search the vehicle for tools used in break-ins.

If they believe there may be a weapon in a vehicle, then they search the vehicle for a weapon.

So if they see a driver commit a motoring offence, or have reason to believe that they have committed a motoring offence, and they believe in-car dash-cam footage will be supporting evidence, why should it be any difference to drugs, tools or weapons?

[hairyben]

Second Best said:

Graveworm said:

It may explain why my Blackvue dashcam has a one touch format button.

Surely that would still be PCOJ? Friendly plod asks you for your dashcam footage, you format it, and then you get nicked for PCOJ and have to stump up the cost for some data expert to recover the footage?

I assumed you'd format before plod requests it though? That wouldn't be PCOJ?

[Bigends]

So.....having been stopped for speed / due care etc, the driver exits the vehicle to speak to the officer - locking it behind him. Officer notices the dashcam in the car and the driver declines to open the car, can the officer force entry to the car on the offchance that a. the dashcam is connected and working and b. It contains evidence of an offence

[Glasgowrob]

is there a dash cam on the market that encrypts data as its written and password locks it? ie something properly secure

[Flumpo]

Well if the way the police treat dash cam footage is the same as cctv I wouldn’t worry.

In our neighbourhood watch area a guy was caught on several cctv driving around in his van slowly looking for thing to nick. Then one guys cctv showed him getting out of his van, full number plate on show, full footage of his face, going down a drive and taking a bike.

This was all given to the police and they never did any investigation and closed the case.

Another guy is on several cctv leaving his flat, walking round to someone’s house and stealing all his garden furniture and then walking home. Apparently cctv footage of that is t enough to arrest him.

So if the police will confiscate your dashcam footage and work out of you were previously speeding by measuring objects in the footage, then something is broken with the system.