Derbyshire Capture

Please read the list of frequently asked questions before submitting your footage.

What is Derbyshire Capture? 

Derbyshire Capture is a police response to the ever-increasing submissions of video evidence from members of the public in relation to witnessed examples of poor driving in the county of Derbyshire.

What offences are included in Derbyshire Capture?

Derbyshire Capture will primarily investigate offences of dangerous driving, driving without due care and attention / careless driving, driving whilst using a mobile phone, contravening red traffic lights and solid white lines. We will also investigate other offences where the driver is clearly not in proper control of the vehicle.

Capture is unable to deal with certain offences that need a police officer to speak to the driver at the time of the offence or where there might be identification issues, such as driving without insurance or disqualified driving.

Capture is also unable to deal with matters requiring the assistance of other agencies such as DVSA and VOSA such as no road tax, no MOT or vehicle defects. Additionally, Capture is unable to deal with matters that other agencies take primacy for, such as parking infringements which are dealt with by local councils.

There is no number plate, or I cannot read the number plate of the offending vehicle, can you enhance it?

Derbyshire Capture will not be able to process any submissions where there is either no number plate on the vehicle or the number plate can’t be clearly read. This includes E-bikes, scooters and off-road motorcycles. Other reporting methods are available for reporting incidents involving these vehicles such as dialling 101 or via the Derbyshire Police website.

The Police cannot enhance recorded footage. If you are unable to read the vehicle number plate from the original clip, then the Police will not be able to be able to read it when they replay the footage.

How do I report an offence?

You can report an offence via https://snap.derbyshire.police.uk

Will my mobile phone or other recording device be taken from me?

No, the device you use to record the offence will not be taken from you.

Can I submit footage from any recording device?

Derbyshire Capture is designed to deal with ‘journey cam’ footage i.e. dash cams in vehicles or cameras mounted on handlebars or the protective headgear of cyclists and horse riders. It is not designed to deal with footage recorded from CCTV cameras at business premises or private addresses including doorbell cameras which could identify the address of the submitter leading to a loss of anonymity. Similarly, it is not designed to deal with mobile phone footage filmed from private addresses.

What do I need to do with the original recording?

It is your responsibility to ensure you are up to date with the guidance and rules in relation to the storage of the Dashcam recording.

So, if I must keep the memory card or device to one side, will the police give me a new one?

No. The police do not replace memory cards or devices with like items in any circumstances.

I’ve put my footage on social media, and it’s getting lots of comments. Can I ask you to take a look please?

Please remove the footage from social media. Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) advice is that your footage should not be in the public domain as this may adversely affect any subsequent proceedings. You could also be in breach of GDPR in relation to Data Subjects Rights. Please fill in the Derbyshire Capture web form and start the process with us.

Can't I just send you some screen shots from a video I have? They clearly show the offence I want to bring to your attention.

No. Derbyshire Capture is a video-based system. Police require video of the incident in its entirety. This is to show the actual offence within the context of the whole incident. Still photographs do not provide context or show an offence occurring. For example, a photo of a driver using a mobile phone might not demonstrate the vehicle was moving or even that the engine is running.

We also can’t process submissions where there is video of the offending vehicle that does not cover the offence being committed.

Will I have to make a statement?

Yes, as part of the Criminal Justice process and to allow the Police to deal with the offender in an appropriate manner, you are required to provide a statement. However, this is completed automatically as a result of you answering some simple pre-formatted questions during the submission process.

It is important to remember that the information you provide will form an official court document so only the facts of the incident should be included in your description of the incident. In the section where you record what happened, please do not include anything other than the facts of the incident. In certain circumstances, we may consider discontinuing proceedings if inappropriate language or opinion is included in this section.

Will I have to go to court and give evidence?

Early indications suggest that on average only 1 to 2% of all reported offences result in a court appearance. There are other disposal methods available such as attendance on a driver improvement course or the acceptance of a fixed penalty notice.

If, on the very rare occasion the offence which you report does require a court appearance, then you will be fully supported through the process.

Will my own driving or the way in which I captured the footage be scrutinised?

You must be aware that when the Police review the footage which you submit, they are duty bound to also review the manner of your driving and the way the footage was obtained. For example, if you cross over solid white lines or go through a red traffic light to catch up with an offending driver or film a driver using your mobile phone whilst driving, then the Police will commence proceedings against you.

What will happen to the driver?

There are a number of disposal methods available dependant on the nature of the offence and other factors. The driver could be offered a Driver Education Course, receive a Fixed Penalty Notice or receive a Summons to attend Court. We may decide to send the driver a warning letter instead, or take no further action. The footage and statement will have been reviewed by a member of staff with extensive experience on the roads policing department who will take all factors into consideration, including current CPS charging standards.

What forms of evidence will be acceptable?

Evidence will be accepted in the form of video footage only. Derbyshire Capture is unable to process photographs or submissions with no video evidence attached.

You must consider whether the footage you have will be sufficient for the Police to investigate and prosecute an offence. For example, video showing the offending vehicle but not the commission of the alleged offence will not be sufficient.

Do I need to have a date/time stamp on my video footage? If so, must this be exactly the right time?

Ideally the date and time should be correct. The video footage is used to support your written witness testimony. You must account for any discrepancies in date/time within your witness evidence presented to us. Your witness statement must clearly state what time/date the incident occurred.

I want you to see the footage but don’t want to go to court. Can’t you just deal with it?

We need your statement; we need to fully understand the situation and people have a right to have matters heard in a court of law. Please fill in the web form. We will be in touch if you are required to attend court and support you through the process.

How will the evidence I provide be used?

The evidence which you provide to the Police by way of the submission of digital media footage and a statement will be reviewed by a member of staff with extensive experience on the roads policing unit. Following review, if it is established that a warning letter is the most appropriate way to deal with the matter, the staff member will complete this. Every warning letter is bespoke.

If it is established that an offence has occurred and requires further investigation, the information will then be passed to an officer from the roads policing unit who will carry out an investigation.

Will the offending driver know who I am?

The offending driver will not be provided with your details. However, on the rare occasion that the offence which you have reported results in a Court appearance, then at this stage the offending driver will become aware of your name but not your address or any other personal details.

When warning letters are sent, registered keepers are warned that any attempt to contact a submitter may constitute a criminal offence.

Are there any time limits which I must adhere to?

The types of offence which Derbyshire Capture deal with generally have a six month time limit for prosecutions. The Police also have an obligation to inform the registered keeper of the offending vehicle that they are considering the matter, usually within 14 days of the incident. Please make your submissions as soon as possible. If more than 7 days have passed before submitting your evidence, for the majority of offences, we will not be able to progress the matter for investigation.

What if I have footage of other offences not covered by Derbyshire Capture?

If you have footage of any other types of offences not covered by Derbyshire Capture, then you should contact the relevant authority which may still be the police, but could be your local authority, and provide them with the footage. The Police can either be contacted via this website or by ringing 101.

We are unable to process submissions via Capture relating to:

• Road traffic collisions – a separate reporting tool is available on the police website.
• Suspected document offences such as no insurance, no vehicle tax, no MOT, driving without a licence or disqualified driving.
• Speeding, parking offences or obstructions.
• On-going issues such as neighbour disputes or harassment. Other reporting tools are available as mentioned above, or contact the investigating officer if someone is already dealing with your case.
• We are unable to deal with incidents that are not road traffic related such as littering, criminal damage and assaults. 

How will my footage be stored?

The footage which you submit along with your statement will be stored securely on a cloud server.

How long will the footage be stored for?

The information which you submit will be retained according to rules around the management of police information.

You’re asking the public to do the police’s job here. Why can’t you catch all these people breaking the law?

The police have been receiving complaints from members of the public about dangerous and anti-social driving for some time. Derbyshire Capture allows us to effectively deal with the footage in a safe and secure way, whilst making the investigation process simple and straight forward for the police and members of the public. They have a determined and robust approach to policing the roads and will take every opportunity to make them safer for everyone. Derbyshire Capture is not asking you to go out and detect offences for us, but we will deal with any you find.

All Roads Policing cars, marked and unmarked, are fitted with video recording equipment. The officers make use of this all the time. They capture offences and deal with them as appropriate. The officers work in partnership with local authorities and other police forces. The camera vans you see are not there just to catch people speeding. They capture all sorts of offences and deal with them: people using phones, people distracted by sending texts, people not wearing their seatbelts etc. They are deployed for the safety of all road users.

What about reports of close passes from cyclists and horse riders - will you deal with them?

We recognise that cyclists and horse riders are vulnerable road users.

Derbyshire Capture follows national guidance regarding the analysis of video evidence for the measurement of speed and distance. To continue to remain efficient, effective and ensure we can respond to the most serious incidents, all close pass reports will be reviewed, but only in exceptional circumstances will positive action be taken.

What about the cyclists breaking the law? If you're going to process people for careless driving by putting cyclists at risk, what about the cyclists who ignore red lights and cause risk with their riding?

The officers will deal with all matters of careless/riding/cycling as best they can. It’s vital to remember that the vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists and horse riders are at much greater risk of serious injury and death than those in cars. Our priority should always be to protect those most vulnerable.

If the police and everyone else is going to start taking action over all these people caught on camera, can the police cope?

Yes. It’s easy for people to engage in Derbyshire Capture and processes have been designed to run smoothly. Derbyshire Capture has one desired outcome. That is making our roads safer.

I think I’ve been reported by someone using Derbyshire Capture. What should I do?

Please contact us via one of the following methods:

• Facebook – send us a private message via Facebook/DerbyshireConstabulary
• Website – complete the online contact form www.derbyshire.police.uk/Contact-Us.
• Phone – call us on 101.

Derbyshire Constabulary processes personal data in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018 and other associated legislation.

For further information please see the Privacy Notice on the Derbyshire Constabulary website.