Many have suggested that placing body-worn cameras (BWCs) on police officers improves the civility of police-citizen encounters and enhances citizen perceptions of police transparency and legitimacy. In response, many police departments have adopted this technology to address public concerns over the quality of policing in their communities. The existing program evaluation evidence on the intended and unintended consequences of outfitting police officers with BWCs is still developing, however. The current study of BWC effects involved just over 400 police officers in Las Vegas, Nevada. The evaluation found that officers equipped with body-worn cameras had fewer complaints and use-of-force reports compared with officers without cameras. BWC officers also made more arrests and issued more citations than their non-BWC counterparts. The findings of this randomized controlled trial raise the possibility that planning for the placement of BWCs on officers should consider the competing effects of improvement in civilian perceptions of police generated by reductions in complaints and use of force incidents, as well as public concerns about increased enforcement activity. (publisher abstract modified)
Downloads
Similar Publications
- The Role of Simulated Data in Making the Best Predictions (from the 87th Annual Meeting of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists - 2018)
- Post-burn and Post-blast Rapid Detection of Trace and Bulk Energetics by 3D-printed Cone Spray Ionization Mass Spectrometry
- Community Court Grows in Brooklyn: A Comprehensive Evaluation of the Red Hook Community Justice Center, Final Report