Preserve
Keep originals, surrounding context and relevant camera views.
Footage and reporting
Evidence and reporting
Keep the record. Find the right reporting route.
Preserving footage and reporting an incident are separate steps. Start by keeping the originals.
Check
Find the official route and current local instructions.
Retain
Keep the files and any reporting reference securely.
Keep a usable copy of the record
When safely stopped, copy the relevant original recordings and the surrounding sequence. Keep both views from a dual-lens camera. Check the copies play and retain a backup.
Record your own factual notes separately: date, time, location and what you observed. A recording may add context, but it does not show everything you experienced.
Find the route for the incident
Use the official police website for the area where it happened. A traffic-offence video portal may have a different purpose from a collision or crime-reporting service.
Check the current local instructions before submission. Deadlines, supporting information and accepted files vary. In an emergency or immediate danger, call 999; an online footage portal is not an emergency service.
Read the instructions before sharing
Preserve your originals and check the force's guidance before editing or posting incident footage publicly. Keep any submission reference with your files.
The authority assesses the material and decides what happens next. Recording or submitting footage does not guarantee police action, an insurance decision or a legal outcome.
What we mean by evidence-ready recording
We use this phrase for a useful recording and retention routine: correct camera settings, a clear view, original files and sensible backups.
It is not an official certification or a promise that footage will be accepted. Your camera manual and the receiving organisation's instructions serve different purposes; check both.