RELEVANT
FOCUSED
READY

The Use and Implementation of Body Worn Cameras in Policing
Gurjiwan Kaila

Introduction

Discussion

Ever since there was a rise in police use of force incidents against
minorities in the U.S. in 2014, there has been a high public demand for
an increase in police accountability and transparency. Thousands of U.S.
police agencies rushed to implement body worn camera (BWC) programs
into their departments to record their interactions with citizens in the
hopes that this will reduce the number of complaints against the police
and hold police officers accountable; however, a BWC program may bring
significant financial costs for a police department. The research study
was conducted because the need for more research in this area is crucial
as police agencies consider their potential adoption of BWCs.

BWCs are important for the public to feel safe, for police to be held
accountable, and for video evidence to refute false complaints against
officers. Some pilot project studies did not determine any significant
changes with the BWCs, due to the limitation that many of these studies
were conducted for only a couple of months. Since the implementation
of this technology is relatively new, there may be more significant results
shown in the future when BWCs are used in agencies for a longer period
of time.

Background
The research study was conducted to answer the following question:
How will the implementation of BWCs support police officers in their line
of duty? The aim of this applied research project was to offer
information, conclusions, and recommendations that may support police
agencies to determine whether or not there is any value for BWCs in
their departments. The scope of the research study was to analyze
current literature, reports, and policies to determine the use of BWCS
and the impact of the cameras on police behavior. The reports were also
analyzed to determine the benefits of BWCs, challenges of BWCs, and
gaps in previous research. From this analysis, this research study was
able to draw conclusions and provide recommendations to address
issues and concerns pertaining to the implementation of BWCs.

Methods
The research was conducted using a qualitative research methodology
design. Conducting a qualitative research methodology helped to offer
interpretations upon collecting and analyzing existing data. A literature
review was conducted collecting information from 18 peer reviewed and
scholarly journal articles pertinent to the research project topic. This
anonymized secondary data was compared to reports obtained from the
New York Police Department (NYPD), Toronto Police Service (TPS),
Edmonton Police Service (EPS), and Calgary Police Service (CPS).

Results/Findings
The findings determined that the adoption of BWC programs can
improve transparency, provide great evidence for investigations, and
correct many internal problems police agencies exhibit (Miller & Toliver,
2014). Other benefits included the reduction of citizen complaints and
the resolving of complaint cases against officers using recorded video
evidence (IACP, 2012). Following a 12 month study in a California police
department, there was a 60% reduction in officer use of force incidents.
The shifts without cameras experienced twice as many use of force
incidents as the shifts that were using cameras. The study found that the
use of BWCs reduced citizens’ complaints by 88% (Miller & Toliver, 2014).
Invasion of privacy is a major concern and to date, there is no freedom of
information and privacy legislation in Canada that specifically refers to
police use of BWCs (Edmonton Police Service, 2015). Officers have mixed
perceptions about BWCs, while the general public maintains a positive
view. Katz, Choate, Ready, and Nuño (2014) revealed that officers found
the cameras to be comfortable, but downloading the data took too long,
completing the reports took long, and there were concerns the footage
could be used against them. Lastly, the high cost is preventing many
agencies from implementing BWC programs. However, some studies
have stated it is worth it to implement BWC programs, because BWCs
would save costs on complaint investigations, use of force investigations,
use of force lawsuits, and court cases.

Bachelor of Law Enforcement Studies

Conclusions and Recommendations
Several conclusions and recommendations were made from this
research. Prior to implementing a program, law enforcement agencies
need to identify their objectives for using this technology and consider
the benefits and costs of BWC programs. If there is a considerable need
for this program, it is suggested that pilot projects be conducted to test
the technology and see if it is a good fit for the department. The program
needs to have a well planned and developed policy, and departments
should consider the significant risks before equipping officers with BWCs.
These written policies should layout how cameras will be used and how
footage will be stored. An organization should ensure proper safeguards,
retention, destruction, and storage of recordings captured on BWCs.
These policies should also determine when recording is required,
whether officers have to announce that an encounter is being recorded,
video download procedures, and how long video is to be retained. It is
recommended that officers inform subjects when they are being
recorded unless it is a situation where it would be impossible, or the
situation is unsafe. Police departments must also ensure that they are
consistent with applicable privacy laws and the legal constraints that may
apply in their jurisdictions. Lastly, it is recommended that police
departments get together and consult with the community and frontline
officers to develop policies and best practices.
It is clear that BWCs provide multiple benefits; however, implementation
of these programs may not be a suitable decision for all departments.
Police departments may consider the recommendations mentioned in
this research project, and it is hoped that this research study may offer
police departments with valuable information as they consider their
potential BWC program adoption.

References
Edmonton Police Service. (2015). Body worn video: Considering the
evidence [PDF file]. Retrieved from http://www.bwvsg.com/wpcontent/uploads/2015/06/Edmonton-Police-BWV-Final-Report.pdf
International Association of Chiefs of Police. (2014). Body worn cameras
model policy. Retrieved from http://www.iacp.org/model-policy/wpcontent/uploads/sites/6/2017/07/BodyWornCamerasPaper.pdf
Katz, C. M., Choate, D. E., Ready, J. R., & Nuño, L. (2014). Evaluating the
impact of officer worn body cameras in the Phoenix Police
Department. Retrieved from
https://www.bja.gov/bwc/pdfs/Evaluating-the-Impact-of_officerWorn-Body-Cameras.pdf
Miller, L., & Toliver, J. (2014). Implementing a body worn camera
program: Recommendations and lessons learned. Retrieved from
http://www.justice.gov/iso/opa/resources/472014912134715246869
.pdf

Justice Institute of British Columbia

April 2018