Police bodycam footage to be scrutinised by student panel to improve police accountability

Date: July 8th, 2026

Wrexham University students will contribute to police accountability by taking part in a new Student Scrutiny Panel developed in partnership with North Wales Police.

The panel brings together students from Policing, Criminology, Psychology, Forensic Science, Mental Health Nursing, and Law, who will meet three times a year to review real bodycam footage of police incidents and provide feedback on the quality of policing.

Their insights will be shared directly with North Wales Police, alongside feedback from other community engagement panels, with the aim of supporting greater transparency and accountability across the region’s policing practices.

Across North Wales, policing is subject to several independent scrutiny arrangements designed to ensure fairness, transparency and public confidence. Scrutiny panels examine operational police powers such as stop and search and use of force, ensuring they are used fairly, proportionately and lawfully.

Andy Jones, Senior Lecturer in Policing, Criminology, Policing and Law at Wrexham University, said: “The University’s Student Scrutiny Panel offers students an opportunity to engage directly with real examples of police activity. Through the panel, students review anonymised body-worn video footage relating to incidents involving police powers such as use of force.

“Incidents can include circumstances where officers may have used handcuffs during an arrest or employed specialist tactics such as taser deployment. The purpose of the scrutiny is not only to examine whether police powers have been used appropriately, but also to provide valuable community perspectives that can inform policing practice.

The initiative also provides an important learning opportunity for students, allowing them to develop critical thinking, analytical skills and an understanding of accountability within public services. By bringing together policing professionals and students from diverse academic backgrounds, the panel aims to strengthen relationships between the University and local communities while supporting openness and public trust in policing.”

Wrexham University offers undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Professional Policing, Criminology, Law, Forensic Science, Mental Health Nursing and Criminal Psychology. Clearing is now open for course places beginning in Autumn 2026.

Find out more here.

Joshua’s Story

Joshua, 23 is a police officer with North Wales Police, based in Flintshire. He completed his degree in Professional Policing at Wrexham University in 2024, and credits it with helping him secure his current role.

“I always knew I wanted to be a police officer, but when I was younger, I thought policing was just driving really quick with your blue lights flashing. However, I’ve come to understand the role is about helping people, and making decisions in an environment that's constantly changing and constantly challenging.

“The police help society’s most vulnerable people, and when we can do that, it really feels like you're making a difference, and why the job feels rewarding.

“The Professional Policing Degree at Wrexham helped prepare me for this role. I’m from Caernarfon originally, all my family's in North Wales, and I’m a Welsh speaker, so Wrexham Uni was by far my favourite. It felt more homely than the others I visited. I liked that it was a smaller university, and that we would be taught by former police officers.

“Something the degree pressed into me was the importance of really investigating crimes thoroughly, not just bouncing from one situation to another. It gives a lot more of an academic perspective to the role of policing. These days there’s much more accountability for police actions, so understanding your powers, where these powers come from, why they're important, understanding why it's important to deal with jobs thoroughly, and to do your paperwork thoroughly, is essential. You don't get that as much in operational policing training. The degree teaches you the standards that are expected in the police from the very beginning. And because of the assignments, you learn how to write critically, how to write in detail, and how to write professionally.

“We were also taught about understanding things like vulnerability, trauma, trauma informed practice and the academic side of policing. The degree also helped me develop skills like thinking on the spot, talking to people, and taking part in interviews, which helped me secure my training position.

“For anyone considering doing the degree to pursue a job in policing, I would recommend it 100%.

“I love every single second of being a police officer. Every single second.”

Places are available for the Professional Policing Degree at Wrexham University beginning September 2026. Find out more here.