The Quarterly keeps our law enforcement partners, their agencies, and supporters informed of developments, trends, and news within the body-worn camera (BWC) field, and is meant to encourage involvement in our ongoing activities.
The Quarterly describes the most up-to-date tools and technical assistance (TTA) materials for your continued success in navigating and implementing a long-lasting, successful BWC program.
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In this Issue:
- BWC TTA Team Spotlight
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Spotlight on BWC Resource: BWC TTA 2021 National Meeting Keynote
- Featured BWC TTA Resources
- Latest Research on BWCs
- Special Feature: Key-Trends in Body-Worn Camera Policy and Practice
- In Case You Missed It!
- Practices from the Field
- BWCs in the News
Quick Links
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The BWC TTA Team Spotlight |
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Quin Patterson
BWC TTA Analyst
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The BWC TTA team consists of CNA, Arizona State University (ASU), Justice and Security Strategies (JSS), and a network of experts in BWCs. Our TTA includes a wide variety of topics, such as the role of BWCs in use of force, BWC policy and procedures, technology, community collaboration, prosecution, crime prevention, and research regarding BWCs.
Quin Patterson is a BWC TTA analyst and a CNA Research Specialist. Mr. Patterson has worked as a TTA analyst with ASU since 2018, and recently joined CNA as a full-time employee working on resource and outreach coordination. He has both a bachelor's and master's degree in criminology and criminal justice from Arizona State University, where he recently worked as a research assistant. His past research has focused on policing, including de-escalation tactics, officer perceptions of body-worn cameras, and the effect of BWCs on officer and citizen behavior.
Learn more about BWC TTA analysts here.
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Spotlight on BWC Resource |
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BWC TTA 2021 National Meeting Keynote Presentation: BWC - Lessons Learned on the Road to Establishing an Effective Program |
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Chief Art Acevedo of the Miami Police Department discusses his thoughts and experiences with BWCs, as well as what he believes are the keys to a successful BWC program. |
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Featured BWC TTA Resources |
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Directories of Outcomes
The research on the impact of police body-worn cameras (BWCs) has grown rapidly, and has revealed that results vary across the dozens of studies published to date. While this variation studies is not surprising to many researchers, the connotation of “mixed results” raises concerns for the average law enforcement executive. He or she simply wants to know two things: “Do body-worn cameras work?” and “Should I acquire them for may department?”
Practitioners face two key problems when assessing the relevant research:
1. It is difficult to keep up with the quickly growing body of research on body-worm cameras.
2. It is difficult to make sense of findings that vary considerably across studies.
The Directories of Outcomes provide a comprehensive, up-to-date overview of the existing research by outcome. Access the directories here.
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In View: Commentary from BWC Experts
In View Commentaries feature thoughts, opinions, and experiences from BWC experts, including researchers, practitioners, and policy makers.
Read the recent In View 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, such as trends in BWC policies, options for mounting BWCs, and technological capabilities of the cameras. The podcasts are available for you to listen to at your convenience on our website and on various podcast channels. Please don't hesitate to contact us with questions, requests for additional information, or to suggest additional podcast topics.
To subscribe to our podcast, visit the BWC TTA website or click on one of the images to the left for the various channels.
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Latest Research on Body-Worn Cameras |
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Abstract: The present study analyzed data from 39 semi-structured interviews with specialized unit officers from one mid- and one small-sized police department in the United States. The data indicates that specialty unit officers perceived body-worn cameras in terms of the costs and consequences of the technology, which aligns with the diffusion of innovations paradigm. These officers had differential views of the costs of BWCs and the capabilities and uses of BWCs compared to patrol officers. These findings urge further investigation into the costs and consequences of body-worn cameras on specialty units, as well as an exploration into the impact of the technology’s technical capabilities. If there are key differences between specialty units and patrol officers in perceptions of the cameras, policy regarding the technology may be best if it can address these differences in order to maximize the benefits of the technology.
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Abstract: The current study evaluates the impact of defendant race/ethnicity and police body-worn cameras (BWCs) on dismissals and guilty pleas in traffic violations. Despite the frequency of traffic violations and the potential for racial/ethnic bias in these incidents, researchers have yet to examine the outcomes of these violations in court. Research is also needed to assess the potential for BWCs to provide evidence and reduce charging disparities and differential pleas for minority defendants. Traffic violations processed in the Tempe, Arizona Municipal Court before and after BWC deployment were examined using logistic regression. Black and Hispanic defendants were less likely to have their violations dismissed than White defendants, regardless of the presence of a BWC. Hispanic defendants were significantly more likely to plead guilty to traffic violations than White defendants, and BWCs did not eliminate this disparity. BWCs did significantly reduce the likelihood of a guilty plea for Black and White defendants, but the finding was not robust [sic] to the inclusion of an interaction term between race and BWCs. BWCs did not significantly moderate the impact of defendant race/ethnicity on either dismissals or guilty pleas. Overall, the results suggest that BWCs have little impact on reducing racial/ethnic disparities in traffic violation processing.
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Special Feature:
Body-Worn Camera Site Spotlight:
Jonesboro, Arkansas
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Jonesboro, Arkansas, is a city of 75,000 in the northeastern corner of the state, approximately 70 miles from Memphis, Tennessee. Located within one of the fastest growing counties in Arkansas, Jonesboro is home to Arkansas State University and its 13,000 students. In 2018, Jonesboro PD received a grant from the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) Body-Worn Camera Policy and Implementation Program (BWCPIP). According to Assistant Chief Lynn Waterworth, the decision to deploy BWCs came from Chief Rick Elliott’s concern over a breakdown in the relationship between the police department and the community, and [wanting] to re-establish that relationship. The Jonesboro PD also sought to enhance accountability and provide a greater degree of transparency to the community. |
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Read the full document here.
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Body-Worn Camera Footage: What do we do with all of that evidence? (Part II) |
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This was the second of two webinars that focused on BWC footage as a form of digital evidence. For this webinar, we examined how BWC footage is used after a critical incident and how footage is used within the criminal justice system. The panel was facilitated by Dr. Shellie Solomon, CEO, Justice and Security Strategies (JSS), and consisted of representatives from a police agency, two prosecutors, a former police executive, and a researcher:
- Arif Alikhan, Taclogix, Director of Constitutional Policing, Los Angeles Police Department (retired)
- Jennifer Hyatt, Monroe County District Attorney's Office
- Kalpesh Chotai, Broward County District Attorney's Office
- Lt. Dave Vidaure, Glendale Police Department
- Dr. Craig Uchida, Justice & Security Strategies
The panelists discussed how footage is used after a critical incident, like an officer-involved shooting, protests, and uses of force, and how prosecutor offices obtain, review, and use footage for their cases.
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Brook Park, OH, Police Department; Sturgis, MI, Police Department
Pilot Testing & Evaluation of BWC Equipment
Representatives from Sturgis (MI) Police Department (SPD) and Brook Park (OH) Police Department (BPPD) recently spoke at the BWC TTA Virtual National Meeting about what they did to test and evaluate equipment, and how that played into their BWC purchasing and implementation.
Former SPD Chief Geoffrey Smith suggested identifying 3 to 4 vendors for testing and evaluation and doing research at the front end for baseline features that you have to have, such as automatic triggers, battery life, and mounting options (does local temperature affect mounting options?). In the testing phase, SPD ran their BWCs through road patrol, firearms training, ground fighting, and anything else imaginable that officers may go through to see what the cameras would and wouldn't capture. Eventually, SPD picked a vendor that had the most features that they were looking for, and with a supplemental grant received from BJA in 2015-2016 they added more cameras and were able to have a fully integrated system.
Commissioner Scott Adams explained how BPPD went through a similar testing and implementation process. In their early research, they focused on vendors that could integrate with their current dashcam system, and listed data storage as a primary concern. They invited three vendors to send systems in for evaluation; two were evaluated for two weeks, a third system was evaluated for three weeks, and then the department made its decision. Commissioner Adams suggested that departments have the following thought process when testing and implementing BWCs: What do you want it to do, where do you want it to work, how much do you want it to cost, and what happens if it breaks?
When asked what they would have done differently, Commissioner Adams suggested placing more focus up front on interfacing, and the equipment itself. Adding IT personnel to their advisory committee from the start would have led to earlier storage and technical backup considerations. Former Chief Smith stressed the importance of doing more thorough vendor research on the front end to understand what each was capable of, as well as sorting out priorities based on prior BWC deployments.
To learn more about pilot testing and evaluating BWCs, please contact [email protected]
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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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As body-worn cameras have become more commonplace, and public pressure on officials to take police accountability more seriously has mounted, so too have demands to quickly release the footage of violent or fatal encounters between law enforcement officers and citizens. A video can mean the difference between drawing attention or dying in obscurity. |
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The North Carolina State Senate unanimously passed a criminal justice reform bill that would drastically change the law governing police body cameras. Senate Bill 300 includes a provision that would allow a family to view unedited body camera footage within five business days after a serious police offense, like an officer-involved shooting. |
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Body-worn cameras are an effective tool to hold police officers accountable, according to a study completed by Stockton University and two other colleges. The study, using data from the Chicago Police Department between 2012 and 2020, found that body cameras led to a decrease in the dismissal of investigations due to lack of evidence, and increased disciplinary action against officers when there was sufficient evidence to prove their misconduct. |
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Struthers Police Department is working to be more transparent with the community. It purchased 20 body cameras for around $42,000 in a five-year deal, and the equipment has already been put to use. “With the growing trend in the United States with accountability, I feel that it’s very important,” said Chief Tim Roddy. Officer Dalton Moore ran through some of the bells and whistles from simply recording to an SOS button to help signal if an officer needs help. There are a few different types of lights, and the officers can go back and review the footage on scene. It has another feature that will help police on overnight shifts like Moore. |
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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. 2019-BC-BX-K001 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 U.S. Department of Justice. |
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