Body-worn cameras (BWC) policies can have a significant impact on police-community relations in various ways, which this chapter will examine. BWCs have been implemented internationally, especially in the developed world. This chapter will primarily focus on law enforcement policies within the United States of America (USA). BWCs have become very common among law enforcement officers, including police officers, sheriff deputies, state patrol, and federal agents. No national law forces law enforcement to wear BWCs. Since no national policy outlines when footage can or cannot be released to the public, which leaves states and municipalities to deal with the legality and practicality of releasing BWC footage. This chapter will provide an overview of how BWC policies have developed and the impact of BWCs on police and community relations.
TopImpact Of Bwcs
BWCs can impact community relations, including increasing accountability and transparency for community-police relationships, which can impact the trust between the community and law enforcement (Maskaly et al., 2017). BWCs were also designed to give protection of citizens from excessive use of force and police brutality from being overlooked. The research has shown that the implementation of BWCs has been followed by a reduction in complaints against law enforcement and an improved perception of police officer behavior (White et al., 2017). This trust, accountability, and transparency depend on the agency’s policies. When law enforcement selectively releases footage or does not release it promptly or transparently, it can greatly erode the legitimacy people in the community have for law enforcement and exacerbate tensions between law enforcement and the community (Bush, 2020).
Sometimes, the BWC footage is held for years before being released without any reasonable explanation. One example of such a delay is the shooting of Laquan McDonald in Chicago, Illinois, in 2014 (Licht, 2018). The BWC footage was held for over a year before being released (Bush, 2020). This delay can lead to protests and legal trouble. In 2021, for example, the city of Columbus, Ohio, had to pay around 10 million dollars to the family of Andre Hill, an unarmed African American man whose life was taken in December 2020 by a law enforcement official. The lawsuit involved the failure of the officer to properly activate his BWC and the delay in releasing the captured video. However, when law enforcement agencies can prioritize the transparent and effective means of releasing the footage, it can help improve the relations between law enforcement and the public and support police legitimacy.
BWCs are generally a new technology for police, but the use of cameras and video footage is not. The use of video technology and surveillance for police officers has been implemented since the 1950s. The use of CCTV technology has also been a way that law enforcement has used video footage to their advantage (Nieto et al., 2002).
Police citizen encounters have always been an important factor for police perceptions, and the ability to share these interactions with thousands or millions of others instantly online has made these interactions even more important. The sharing of videos can have a significantly negative impact on police perceptions (Parry, 2017). As the effects are not just on those directly involved in police encounters but also on the surrounding witnesses may also be impacted by what they see and lose trust and legitimacy in police (Mastrofskiet al., 2002; Skogan, 2005). Overaggressive and disrespectful police behavior especially have a negative impact on police legitimacy, trust, and over-perceptions of the police (Paternoster et al., 1997; Skogan, 2006, Tyler, 1990; Tyler, 2003).
Police legitimacy and trust are essential for effective police work. As people perceive the police as legitimate, they are significantly more likely to provide information to the police, report crimes, cooperate with investigations, and comply with law enforcement orders (Tyler, 1990). While in communities that do not have trust and legitimacy in the police, officers often have a more difficult time being effective investigators, keeping their communities safe, and holding criminals accountable.
Personal police experience is known to help shape a person’s attitude toward police officers, but the typical American has little direct contact with police officers (Gaines & Kappeler, 2011). So, the main experience that some people have with the police is through watching BWC footage. The videos that are released and watched by most people are disproportionally the videos of violent and abusive actions of police officers. For example, the murder of George Floyd by a police officer was watched by millions of people within a short period of time (Ellison, 2021).