The Quarterly
keeps our law enforcement agencies and their partners and supporters informed of developments, trends, and news within the body-worn camera (BWC) field and encourages involvement in our ongoing activities.
The Quarterly
provides the most up-to-date tools and technical assistance materials for your continued success in navigating and implementing a long-lasting, successful BWC program.
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In this Issue:
- FY20 BWC Funding
- BWC TTA Team Spotlight
- Spotlight on BWC Resource
- Featured BWC TTA Resources
- Latest Research on BWCs
- Special Feature: BWC Community Engagement Guidance
- In Case You Missed It!
- Practices from the Field
- BWCs in the News
Quick Links
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FY 20 BWC Body-Worn Camera Policy and Implementation Program to Support Law Enforcement Agencies
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*Note: Agencies are eligible to re-apply even if they have received funding from the BJA BWC Policy and Implementation Program in previous fiscal years.
Closing Date:
May 5, 2020
The purpose of this opportunity is to fund the purchase of body-worn cameras (BWC) that are implemented as part of comprehensive BWC programs.
Funding under this program supports agencies seeking to establish or expand comprehensive BWC programs and that have specified plans to implement this technology in a manner that maximizes the benefits of BWCs. As part of their submissions, applicants must describe a deliberate and phased plan to deploy this technology, as well as specific ways it will be used to enhance the applicant agency’s mission.
Funds must be used to purchase body-worn cameras and require a 1:1 match by the grantee. Federal funds shall not be used to pay for data storage costs associated with body-worn camera footage.
Click
here
to view the solicitation.
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The BWC TTA Team Spotlight
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Chief Harold Medlock (Ret.)
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In addition to CNA and its partners, ASU and JSS, our team also includes a network of subject matter experts. These subject matter experts have expertise in a wide variety of topics, such as use of force, technology, body-worn cameras, community collaboration, prosecution, crime prevention, and justice research.
Chief Harold Medlock served as Chief of Police of the Fayetteville Police Department (FPD) for nearly four years, retiring in January 2017. During his tenure with FPD, he led the department in securing Body Worn Cameras for the department with grant funding from the BJA Body Worn Camera Policy and Implementation Program. He served over two decades with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department; promoting to Deputy Chief in 2008. He served as National Special Security Event (NSSE) Co-Chair for the 2012 Democratic National Convention.
Chief Medlock earned an MBA degree from Pfeiffer University, and is a graduate of the FBI National Executive Institute, the FBI National Academy, and the Senior Management Institute for Police.
Chief Medlock actively served on a number of law enforcement and social issue boards including the North Carolina Governor’s Crime Commission, the North Carolina Police Executive Association, the North Carolina Criminal Justice Training and Standards Commission, and the North Carolina Commission for Racial and Ethnic Disparity. He presented written and verbal testimony for the Task Force on 21
st
Century Policing.
Chief Medlock currently serves as the Associate Monitor for Accountability and Transparency for the Chicago Police Department Consent Decree. He serves as a Subject Matter Expert and Strategic Site Liaison for several Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) projects including the Strategies for Policing Innovation (SPI), National Public Safety Partnership (PSP), Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), and Body Worn Camera Training and Technical Assistance (BWC TTA) program.
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Spotlight on BWC Resource
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Impact of BWCs: Directories of Outcomes
The research base on the impact of police body-worn cameras (BWCs) has grown rapidly, and over time, the results have become increasingly mixed. This development poses two problems:
- It is difficult to keep track of the quickly growing evidence base, and
- It is difficult to make sense of the sometimes competing findings across studies.
Moreover, studies can vary widely in terms of their methodological rigor. The BWC TTA Team has developed the Body-Worn Camera Outcome Directories to address these two problems. The Directories provide a comprehensive, up-to-date overview of the existing research by outcome (e.g. use of force, citizen complaints, officer activity). Importantly, each study’s entry has been approved by the primary researcher to ensure accuracy (when the primary researcher could not be reached, an independent reviewer was tasked with peer-reviewing the interpretation of the study’s findings).
View the other Directories of Outcomes:
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Featured BWC TTA Resources
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BWC PIP Grant Reporting Guidelines
We frequently receive questions from BWC sites on when grant reporting requirements are due and whom to contact with questions. To help address these questions, we have developed the attached resource. Please feel free to reference and share this resource as needed and please reach out to the BWC TTA team if you have any questions.
To view the entire chart, click
here.
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In View: Commentary from BWC Experts
In View Commentaries feature commentary from BWC experts, including researchers, practitioners, and policy makers.
Read the recent In Views
here
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BWC TTA Podcasts
The Body-Worn Camera TTA Podcasts provide a unique opportunity for law enforcement officers, researchers, and the law enforcement community to learn about a variety of topics related to body-worn cameras. The podcasts are recorded for you to listen to on our website at your own convenience. Please don't hesitate to contact us with questions or requests for additional information, or to suggest additional podcast topics.
To subscribe to different channels, visit the
BWC TTA website
or click on the images to the left.
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Latest Research on Body-Worn Cameras
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The Effect of Body-Worn Cameras on Satisfaction and General Perceptions of Police: Findings from a Quasi-Randomized Controlled Trial
Abstract:
This study investigated the effect of body-worn cameras (BWCs) on citizens’ satisfaction with the encounter and citizens’ general perceptions of the police during traffic stops. A post-test-only two-group quasi-randomized experimental design was implemented. Drivers in the experimental group encountered the traffic police officers wearing BWCs and were notified that the encounter was being filmed, whereas those in the control group experienced business-as-usual traffic stops. A survey was administered to drivers after completion of the traffic stop. In total, 624 out of 860 stopped drivers (325 in the control group and 299 in the experimental group) participated in the survey. Both bivariate and multivariate analyses showed that BWCs increased significantly citizens’ satisfaction with the encounter and citizens’ general perceptions of the police.
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The influence of body‐worn cameras, minority threat, and place on police activity
Abstract:
Police practices evolve and are often shaped by technological innovation, such as the adoption of body‐worn cameras (BWCs). While initial research on their impact is evergrowing, researchers have neglected to examine if their use is influenced by neighborhood characteristics.This study examines the influence of a BWC implementation on police activity and enforcement practices across neighborhoods, using minority threat hypothesis and place theory to explain the relationship. We used pre‐and postimplementation enforcement data to examine the influence of BWCs and community characteristics on the actions taken by Louisville Metro Police Department officers. Ten ordinary least squares models were used to analyze the enforcement changes including self‐initiated activity, total enforcement, felony arrests, low‐level arrests, and low‐ level citations. Our findings indicate BWCs implementation was associated with a decrease in low‐level citations; however, self‐initiated activity and felony and low‐level arrests were unaffected. Also, concentrated disadvantage was associated with a decrease in self‐ initiated activity. We also examined the moderating effects between BWCs and neighborhood characteristics and found BWCs were correlated with a decrease in low‐level citations. The implications of the findings are discussed
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Open to Interpretation: Confronting the Challenges of Understanding the Current State of Body-Worn Camera Research
Abstract:
In only five years, both the implementation of police body-worn cameras (BWCs) and the evidence base evaluating the technology has diffused at a breakneck pace. As the number of studies has increased, so too has the uncertainty surrounding BWCs and their impact on various outcomes. In this commentary, we bring together the differing viewpoints on the five existing summaries of the BWC literature, highlight the key sources of contention, and make recommendations for BWC scholars and consumers moving forward.
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How do body-worn cameras affect the amount and makeup of police-initiated activities? A randomized controlled trial in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Abstract:
The objective is to examine how the amount and makeup of police-initiated activities changed after the introduction of body-worn cameras (BWCs). From May 21 to November 22, 2016, patrol officers and sergeants from the Milwaukee Police Department were involved in a randomized controlled trial. Through a stratified random sampling procedure, half the officers (n = 252) were assigned BWCs, while officers from the control group (n = 252) continued business as usual. The counts of proactive activities, which included a total count of self-initiated events, as well as traffic stops, business checks, subject stops, and park and walks, were examined using random-effects negative binominal panel regression analyses. The models included a unique measure of contamination to assess its impact on officers’ proactivity. BWCs had no impact on the total amount of officer-initiated activities, traffic stops, or business checks. Officers with BWCs conducted approximately 8% fewer subject stops and 23% more park and walks than those in the control group. In all models, contamination levels were significantly, positively associated with the number of proactive activities that were conducted; however, the size of this effect was very small. Results suggest that BWC-wearing officers may be less likely to engage in proactive activities that are highly discretionary and that could potentially lead to confrontations with community members. As departments continue to develop BWC programs or fine-tune their existing BWC policies, more research is needed to understand the degree to which BWCs affect officers’ behaviors and interactions with the public.
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Special Feature:
BWC Community Engagement Guidance
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This document helps law enforcement agencies develop strategies to engage their communities when deploying body-worn cameras (BWCs). This guidance builds on lessons learned from the BWC Training and Technical Assistance (TTA) Team’s work with hundreds of agencies. These agencies were funded through the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) BWC Policy and Implementation Program (PIP).
Community engagement is an important element of all police operations, including BWC programs. Informing community members and stakeholders about BWC policy and program implementation builds trust and support for BWC programs. For example, the Virginia Beach Police Department provides extensive information, including video presentations, on its BWC program website. Police departments have learned that an informed community will help sustain and expand a BWC program.
This document provides guidance on engaging communities in BWC policy development, BWC implementation, and issues and challenges resulting from deployment.
Read the full document
here.
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BWCs: Reducing Risk & Ensuring Compliance
On Friday, March 27th at 1PM ET, the BWC TTA provider hosted a webinar, Body-Worn Cameras: Reducing Risk and Ensuring Compliance.
This webinar provided insights and imparted experiences regarding how and why police agencies review body-worn camera videos and audit body-worn camera programs for compliance
.
Presenters discussed how to strike the proper balance between compliance and discipline.
This webinar consisted of a panel of three experts from different sized agencies, who discussed their experiences with body worn camera compliance reviews and audits.
To view the webinar, clic
k
here
.
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Body-Worn Cameras in Correctional Settings
On January 29th at 1:00 pm ET, the BWC TTA provider hosted a webinar, Body-Worn Cameras in Correctional Settings. This webinar focused on the use of BWCs within correctional settings, specifically, in jails and prisons. The presenters explored the limited but growing use of BWCs within correctional institutions, differences between use by correctional entities and local law enforcement, issues unique to corrections, differences between use in local jails and state prisons, relevant research, and the future of BWCs within corrections.
During this webinar, correctional agencies that have deployed BWCs presented on how they use BWCs, the benefits of using BWCs, and lessons learned.
To view the webinar, clic
k
here
.
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Overcoming Hurdles During BWC Implementation:
Pemberton Township Police Department
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The Pemberton Township Police Department deployed its Body-Worn Cameras (BWCs) on March 3, 2020. When applying for the BWC grant, the department was interested in obtaining BWCs for its officers in order to increase transparency, ensure accountability for officer conduct, and preserve evidence from field interviews, among other reasons. The department also understood that the costs of the BWC units would be minimal compared to the many benefits that they offer.
After successfully getting its BWC policy approved, the Pemberton Township Police Department had to wait longer than expected to receive the actual BWCs from the vendor. However, this did not stop the department from remaining active. The department conducted BWC policy training for its officers so that officers would understand the department’s expectations for them when the BWCs arrived.
The Pemberton Township Police Department also made it a priority to ensure that the community was up to date on the status of the BWC deployment. The department used social media, specifically Facebook, to update the community when the BWCs arrived, when they were installed, and when they were deployed. The comments from community members on these Facebook posts were overwhelmingly positive.
When the “Switch On” day finally came to deploy the BWCs, the department issued a press release that announced the deployment of the cameras and gave background to the community on the steps that had to be taken in order to successfully deploy the BWCs.
Chief David Jantas and the Pemberton Township Police Department exercised a great deal of patience throughout the BWC process. Their patience was accompanied by innovative efforts to ensure that the community was engaged and up to date on the deployment of the BWCs.
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If your agency would like to be featured in the next issue of
The Quarterly
, please
contact us
.
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Body-Worn Cameras in the News
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Pensacola Police Chief Tommi Lyter stands by the importance of police body cameras. His department has equipped uniformed officers with the devices since 2011. "They are so ingrained in what we do. Most of our officers - it's all they have worked with is body cameras,” he said.The chief says the results have been clear by improving transparency.
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Since the beginning of January, all police officers in the Pendleton Police Department began wearing body cameras. The department applied for the cameras through the 2018 Oregon Department of Justice Body Worn Camera Grant. "Once we heard that we definitely applied for one because we have always been interested in getting the body-worn cameras into our fleet and on our personnel," said Lt. Charles Byram. The cameras will be worn on the left breast pocket of each officer's uniform. The camera will stay on whenever police are called to service.
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Metropolitan Nashville Police held a press conference and meeting Tuesday to present the cameras, talk about their policy, and answer questions related to the body camera roll out. When it comes to policy, officers will be required to activate them whenever they're having contact with a citizen in a law enforcement capacity, and officers will not have the ability to delete any footage. Officers can be granted permission to review footage in cases where they’re trying to make sure they’re filling out reports correctly. They would not be granted access to review footage if they were involved in an officer involved shooting.
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There's a growing rank of local police departments in New Hampshire deploying body cameras as more and more agencies across the country implement them to increase transparency. Barrington looks to be next, if its Town Meeting voters approve the department's budget on Tuesday, March 10. Meanwhile, Dover police support body cams and will launch a formal exploratory study this summer to evaluate whether the costs of the equipment and associated manpower will be feasible for their larger, busy department. If both Barrington and Dover ultimately purchase the devices, they'll join the likes of camera-equipped Lee, Milton, Northwood, Strafford and the University of New Hampshire, along with a host of departments big and small throughout the United States.
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Points of view or opinions in this content are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the US Department of Justice.
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This project was supported by Grant No. 2015-DE-BX-K002 awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Department of Justice's Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Office for Victims of Crime, and the SMART Office. Points of view or opinions in this document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the US Department of Justice.
Points of view or opinions in this content are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the US Department of Justice.
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