FOI 0985-2024/25 Policy on Video Recorded Interviews

Request
Q1. The force policy on video recorded interviews.

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Decision
I have today decided to disclose the following information to you.

Q1. North Yorkshire Police do not hold a specifically policy around Video Recorded Interviews (VRIs), however, we work within the boundaries of the guidance on Achieving best evidence in criminal proceedings (known as ABE), Version 4, which is publicly available using the below link:
Achieving best evidence in criminal proceedings - GOV.UK

As such this is exempt pursuant to Section 21 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the Act) on the basis that it is available to the applicant by other means.

This dictates the best practice around conducting video interviews with victims and witnesses by all Police Officers and in particular Special Witness Interviewers who conduct video recorded interviews for the most serious offences.  The guidance takes into account the category of witness and the best method of obtaining evidence which can vary depending on the nature of the offence.

Any VRI needs to be considered in line with ABE and therefore the creation of any policy would be to simply refer the investigator to the ABE. 

Please note that systems used for recording information are not generic, nor are the procedures used locally in capturing the data.  It should be noted therefore that this force’s response to your questions should not be used for comparison purposes with any other responses you may receive.