Police footage may be unhelpful if badly managed.

The power of a police camera can be misused. Whether a police camera is there to promote transparency and accountability, or whether it serves to impinge upon privacy or be used for other abusive means depends on who it is managed by, and how it is governed. ^[1] Investigations have revealed that police are unwilling to disclose material that has been recorded on police cameras that disclose that the officer engaged in excess use of force, or was involved in a shooting, often citing that the investigation is ongoing, a legal exemption. ^[2] The Met in the UK has been criticised for not releasing police camera footage. In an internal memo it is established that some of the behaviour in the footage would not put the Met Police in a pleasant light. It cited its reasons as data protection, trial by social media, and exacerbation of tensions. The refusal to release the footage has been criticised for witholding information that would convey the concerns raised by minorities for years, and for causing further public mistrust in the policing system. ^[3]