Objectives We report the results of a randomized controlled trial of police body-worn video (BWV)... more Objectives We report the results of a randomized controlled trial of police body-worn video (BWV) cameras in an Australian context, with a focus on how cameras influence evidence gathering, court processes/outcomes, and police/public behavior. Methods The 6-month trial undertaken by the Western Australia Police Force involved a sample of officers (N = 498) acting as their own controls with camera use (“treatment”) randomly allocated across shifts. A range of parametric and non-parametric tests were conducted to explore the influence of BWV on interview efficiency, rate/timing of guilty pleas, conviction rates, sanction rates, police use-of-force, assaults against police, and citizen complaints against police. Results The trial generated mixed results in support of this technology within this Australian context. BWV recordings did result in evidence-gathering benefits by producing cost/time efficiencies when taking field interviews. BWV footage had limited impact on court processes/o...
This article analyzes police, public, and arrestee survey responses from a single jurisdiction to... more This article analyzes police, public, and arrestee survey responses from a single jurisdiction to give a multiple-perspective insight into the use of body-worn video (BWV) cameras by police. Police attitudinal data were collected from before ( n = 190), during ( n = 139), and at the conclusion ( n = 221) of a BWV implementation trial. Public attitudes were collected at the conclusion of the BWV implementation trial via online survey ( n = 995 respondents) and intercept survey ( n = 428 respondents). Arrestee attitudes ( n = 302) were collected for detainees in police custody over a 6-month period immediately preceding the BWV trial. Results showed (a) all three perspectives were supportive of the use of BWV, (b) the extent to which police felt BWV influenced their behavior tempered during the trial, (c) the public who had encountered BWV-wearing officers and the arrestee sample indicated limited belief that BWV would reduce bad behavior, and (d) there was clear contention about the ...
Objectives We report the results of a randomized controlled trial of police body-worn video (BWV)... more Objectives We report the results of a randomized controlled trial of police body-worn video (BWV) cameras in an Australian context, with a focus on how cameras influence evidence gathering, court processes/outcomes, and police/public behavior. Methods The 6-month trial undertaken by the Western Australia Police Force involved a sample of officers (N = 498) acting as their own controls with camera use (“treatment”) randomly allocated across shifts. A range of parametric and non-parametric tests were conducted to explore the influence of BWV on interview efficiency, rate/timing of guilty pleas, conviction rates, sanction rates, police use-of-force, assaults against police, and citizen complaints against police. Results The trial generated mixed results in support of this technology within this Australian context. BWV recordings did result in evidence-gathering benefits by producing cost/time efficiencies when taking field interviews. BWV footage had limited impact on court processes/o...
This article analyzes police, public, and arrestee survey responses from a single jurisdiction to... more This article analyzes police, public, and arrestee survey responses from a single jurisdiction to give a multiple-perspective insight into the use of body-worn video (BWV) cameras by police. Police attitudinal data were collected from before ( n = 190), during ( n = 139), and at the conclusion ( n = 221) of a BWV implementation trial. Public attitudes were collected at the conclusion of the BWV implementation trial via online survey ( n = 995 respondents) and intercept survey ( n = 428 respondents). Arrestee attitudes ( n = 302) were collected for detainees in police custody over a 6-month period immediately preceding the BWV trial. Results showed (a) all three perspectives were supportive of the use of BWV, (b) the extent to which police felt BWV influenced their behavior tempered during the trial, (c) the public who had encountered BWV-wearing officers and the arrestee sample indicated limited belief that BWV would reduce bad behavior, and (d) there was clear contention about the ...
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