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A field experiment of the impact of body-worn cameras (BWCs) on police officer behavior and perceptions

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  • Headley, Andrea M.
  • Guerette, Rob T.
  • Shariati, Auzeen

Abstract

Amidst the backdrop of considerable citizen unrest in the U.S. stemming from perceived injustices within police-citizen interactions in recent years, many government leaders have relied on the use of body-worn cameras as a means of improving citizen relations. The promise of body-worn cameras is that they might improve officer and citizen behavior given the possibility of retrospective and independent determinations of the appropriateness of behaviors which occur within police-citizen encounters. While the emerging evaluation evidence of their usefulness have been generally promising, overall determinations remain incomplete. Using a partial randomized experimental design, this study evaluated the impact of a test pilot program of body-worn camera use by the Hallandale Beach, Florida Police Department in the U.S. to determine their impact on police officer behavior and perceptions. Findings revealed that officers with BWCs 1) relied on less intrusive methods to resolve incidents, 2) continued to be active rather than abstaining from community contact, and 3) officer perceptions of the usefulness of BWCs remained pessimistic. Implications for policy and future research are discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Headley, Andrea M. & Guerette, Rob T. & Shariati, Auzeen, 2017. "A field experiment of the impact of body-worn cameras (BWCs) on police officer behavior and perceptions," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 102-109.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jcjust:v:53:y:2017:i:c:p:102-109
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2017.10.003
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Jennings, Wesley G. & Fridell, Lorie A. & Lynch, Mathew D., 2014. "Cops and cameras: Officer perceptions of the use of body-worn cameras in law enforcement," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 42(6), pages 549-556.
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    Cited by:

    1. Burke, Patrick J., 2022. "Examining drug enforcement by specialized police units in Chicago, 2009-2019," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    2. Barbosa, Daniel AC & Fetzer, Thiemo & Soto, Caterina & Souza, Pedro CL, 2021. "De-escalation technology : the impact of body-worn cameras on citizen-police interactions," The Warwick Economics Research Paper Series (TWERPS) 1371, University of Warwick, Department of Economics.
    3. Zhao, Jihong Solomon & Zhang, Yan, 2022. "Proactive policing embedded in two models: A geospatial analysis of proactive activities by patrol officers and COP officers," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).
    4. Inkyu Kang, 2023. "How does technology‐based monitoring affect street‐level bureaucrats' behavior? An analysis of body‐worn cameras and police actions," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 42(4), pages 971-991, September.
    5. Cynthia Lum & Christopher S. Koper & David B. Wilson & Megan Stoltz & Michael Goodier & Elizabeth Eggins & Angela Higginson & Lorraine Mazerolle, 2020. "Body‐worn cameras’ effects on police officers and citizen behavior: A systematic review," Campbell Systematic Reviews, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 16(3), September.
    6. Demir, Mustafa, 2019. "Citizens' perceptions of body-worn cameras (BWCs): Findings from a quasi-randomized controlled trial," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 130-139.
    7. McCarty, William P. & Meng, Zhe & Buslik, Marc S. & Moreno, Rafael, 2021. "Body-worn cameras and arrest: Zooming in on disaggregated metrics and possible unintended consequences," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).

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    2. Cynthia Lum & Christopher S. Koper & David B. Wilson & Megan Stoltz & Michael Goodier & Elizabeth Eggins & Angela Higginson & Lorraine Mazerolle, 2020. "Body‐worn cameras’ effects on police officers and citizen behavior: A systematic review," Campbell Systematic Reviews, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 16(3), September.
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