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Jan 9, 2024
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Uploaded by udxxbeauty
According to American Police Officer's Alliance, the use of body cameras was first used in the United Kingdom in 2005 (2018). The Devon and Cornwall Police Departments are known as the first departments to implement and test the technology (American Police Officer's Alliance, 2018). The use of body cameras took off at a national level to support a domestic violence enforcement campaign. If a victim was hesitant to press charges or provide a statement the video evidence from the body cameras was typically enough to support any prosecutions. Results from this campaign highlighted how body cameras offered the ability to significantly improve the quality of evidence provided by police officers at incidents. A project from 2011 proved that body cameras also increased public reassurance, significantly reduced and resolved complaints against law enforcement officers, and reduced assaults on officers. The project also indicated that the reduction in paperwork resulted in more time on average
for officers to remain on patrol (American Police Officer's Alliance, 2018). By 2012, Rialto, Mesa, and Phoenix initiated similar body camera tests which showed similar results to
those conducted in the UK. Rialto saw a reduction in complaints against law enforcement officers by 88% American Police Officer's Alliance, 2018). Unfortunately, the cost to support the use of body cameras made it difficult for many departments to adopt the technology. The Attorney General Loretta Lynch announced that the United States Department of Justice had distributed $23.2 million in grants to
expand the program and further research on the use of body cameras. Now the use of body cameras is used in agencies across the country to help foster transparency and trust between law enforcement officers and their communities. Additionally, the use of body cameras is to hold all parties accountable involved in a dispute or conflict which helps encourage honest accounts of events. According to a recent study, there were 119 published reports and peer-reviewed studies addressing police body cameras by the end of December 2019 (Archbold, 2021). A substantial portion of these studies investigates the impact of body cameras on the behaviors and attitudes of both police officers and citizens. In the initial studies, researchers examined behavioral changes by using measures such as incidents of use of force and citizen complaints. Many of these early studies yielded positive findings, specifically indicating a decrease in the use of force incidents and citizen complaints (Archbold, 2021). Two recent evaluations conducted by Cynthia Lum and her colleagues in 2019 and 2020 yielded less favorable appraisals of this technology. Following an analysis of 70 studies, Lum and her team determined that body cameras 'have not demonstrated statistically significant or consistent impacts on most aspects of police officer and citizen conduct or citizens perceptions of law enforcement (Archbold, 2021). For her 2020 publication, Lum examined 30 studies on body cameras, this time exclusively focusing on research employing randomized controlled trials or quasi-experimental designs, while also examining police and citizen behavioral outcomes (Archbold, 2021). They concluded that body cameras do not exert significant influence on officers' actions, including the use of
force, arrests, and other activities. However, they did observe a reduction in citizen complaints lodged against police officers due to body cameras, although they remained uncertain about the reasons behind
the decline (Archbold, 2021).
While there are inconsistencies in the findings of multiple studies on the use and effective of body cameras, they can be an effective tool when used properly. In addition to being used for accountability when responding to calls, the video footage could be used for training purposes to better improve tactics when responding to disputes or conflicts. If supervisors monitor the video footage from calls,
they can get an understanding of how officers respond in the field or flag and troubling behavior that was used. From there corrective actions can be taken or training tailored to the needs of where officers in the department may be lacking.
References:
Archbold, C. A. (2021, September 26). Police accountability in the USA: Gaining traction or spinning wheels?
. OUP Academic. https://academic.oup.com/policing/article/15/3/1665/6375703 History of body worn video for police
. American Police Officers Alliance. (2018, January 2). https://americanpoliceofficersalliance.com/police-use-body-worn-video-brief-history/
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