england-and-wales police police-power subject-access-request
Can a person make a subject access request for police body cam footage?
<p>A British Transport Police officer accused a subject of wasting police time after the subject waited patiently for police attendance to resolve a situation with a counterpart who had called police.</p>
<p>The subject responded by challenging the accusation of wasting police time by having the police called on them. The officer changed his story by denying the he had said it.</p>
<p>The subject calls this out by proposing to consult the body cam footage by Subject Access Request (under the Data Protection Act). The officer objects that one cannot make a Subject Access Request directly but rather could only do it through &quot;a solicitor&quot;.</p>
<p>Is there any truth to this whatsoever, and if so, on what basis could one not be entitled to make a request that one's representative can apparently make on one's behalf?</p>

<p>There is nothing preventing the OP's &quot;subject&quot; from making a Subject Access Request in these circumstances</p>
<p>From the British Transport Police's <a href="https://www.btp.police.uk/hyg/btp/privacy-notice/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Privacy Notice page</a>, under the heading &quot;<em>How we use personal data</em>&quot;:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>This privacy notice explains:</p>
<p>...</p>
<ul>
<li>the rights individuals have when we process their personal data.</li>
</ul>
<p>...</p>
<p><strong>Right of Access:</strong> You can request access to the personal data we hold about you free of charge. You can request access to the personal data we hold about you using the contact details in this privacy notice.</p>
<p>...</p>
<p>We collect personal data from a variety of sources, including:</p>
<p>...</p>
<ul>
<li>sound and visual images (e.g. from <strong>body worn cameras</strong>, CCTV, or facial recognition software);</li>
</ul>
<p>...</p>
<ul>
<li>our own CCTV systems and <strong>body worn cameras.</strong></li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
<p>There's more detail in the link, which I have not replicated here to save space and avoid unnecessary &quot;noise&quot;, but the above should cover the relevant points raised by the OP</p>
