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1 – 10 of 30William V. Pelfrey Jr and Steven Keener
The importance of body-worn cameras (BWC) in policing cannot be overstated. This is not a hyperbolic statement – use of force incidents in Ferguson and Baltimore, the ensuing…
Abstract
Purpose
The importance of body-worn cameras (BWC) in policing cannot be overstated. This is not a hyperbolic statement – use of force incidents in Ferguson and Baltimore, the ensuing riots, coupled with critical long term implications for police community relations demonstrate the need for BWC data. Few studies have been published on the use of BWCs and little is known about officer perceptions, administrator decision making, and agency use of BWC data. No published studies incorporate qualitative data, which lends important context and depth, in the interpretation of officer survey data. The paper aims to discuss these issues.
Design/methodology/approach
The current study presents a mixed-method study of a large university police agency prior to full implementation of BWC. A survey of patrol officers and supervisors, using a census approach with near full participation, coupled with focus group interviews, produced data on perceptions, concerns, and expectations of full BWC implementation.
Findings
Findings point to officer concerns regarding the utilization of BWC data and administrative expectations regarding complaint reduction and officer assessment.
Originality/value
Important implications regarding training and policy are presented. BWC data represent an important tool for agency decision makers but have numerous potential negative uses. Understanding officer concerns juxtaposed with administrator expectations, through both survey and qualitative data, advance the knowledge on BWC.
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Paige S. Thompson, Bryce E. Peterson and Daniel S. Lawrence
This paper explores community members' perceptions of the Milwaukee Police Department (MPD)'s body-worn camera (BWC) program, examining knowledge and support of the program and…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper explores community members' perceptions of the Milwaukee Police Department (MPD)'s body-worn camera (BWC) program, examining knowledge and support of the program and its impact on views of procedural justice and legitimacy.
Design/methodology/approach
A two-wave, online survey was administered to Milwaukee-area residents in the fall of 2017 and summer of 2018, yielding 1,527 respondents. Multivariate regression analyses focus on overall relationships between sociodemographic characteristics, community member knowledge of the program, procedural justice and legitimacy and support for BWCs.
Findings
Community members are supportive of BWCs and view officers as procedurally just and legitimate; however, perceptions were significantly lower among Black respondents. Respondents with knowledge of the BWC program were more likely to view officers as procedurally just, but program knowledge did not increase support for it.
Research limitations/implications
Police agencies may benefit from improving community awareness of their BWC program as knowledge of the program is positively linked to the views of departmental procedural justice and legitimacy. However, education efforts alone are not sufficient in improving police–community relations. Future research should examine how policing stakeholders can engage the community to build views of legitimacy associated with BWC policies.
Originality/value
Findings provide insight into community member perceptions of a large BWC program in a major US city. Results demonstrate the relationship between knowledge of a department's BWC program and views of procedural justice and legitimacy and support for BWCs.
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Hannah Cochran and Robert E. Worden
The objectives of this research were to examine how officer perspectives on body-worn cameras (BWCs) are patterned by broader occupational attitudes, and to analyze stability and…
Abstract
Purpose
The objectives of this research were to examine how officer perspectives on body-worn cameras (BWCs) are patterned by broader occupational attitudes, and to analyze stability and change in officers' attitudes toward BWCs before and after the deployment of the technology.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors analyze panel survey data on individual officers in the Albany (New York) Police Department (APD).
Findings
Pre-BWC deployment, officers varied in their occupational attitudes and BWC perspectives, and the officers' BWC outlooks bore relationships to several occupational attitudes. BWC outlooks were largely stable following deployment. Individual changes in BWC perspectives were related to officers' assignments and unrelated to officers' occupational attitudes.
Originality/value
The authors use panel survey data to test hypotheses about the effect of broad occupational attitudes on officers' receptivity to BWCs and to analyze change pre-/post-BWC deployment.
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Natalie Todak and Janne E. Gaub
The purpose of this paper is to examine individual-level factors related to police body-worn camera (BWC) acceptance.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine individual-level factors related to police body-worn camera (BWC) acceptance.
Design/methodology/approach
Surveys were completed by 119 officers from one northwestern police agency a year after BWC deployment. Relationships between demographics, job characteristics, cultural attitudes, organizational justice perceptions and BWC acceptance were examined.
Findings
Supervisors, as well as officers who had worn BWCs longer, worked the most active patrol shifts, and viewed their supervisors as critical, reported more BWC acceptance. Other indicators of culture and organizational justice were not significant.
Originality/value
BWCs offer many benefits, but to realize these outcomes officers must accept and use the technology. Research shows wide variations in officer acceptance of BWCs. These findings suggest some officers view BWCs as helpful in dealing with job stressors, including supervisory responsibilities, high volumes of calls and critical supervisors, and tend to grow more accepting of them over time.
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Baris Cayli, Charlotte Hargreaves and Philip Hodgson
This study advances our knowledge about the effectiveness of body-worn cameras (BWCs) through exploring the perceptions of English police officers in three principal areas…
Abstract
Purpose
This study advances our knowledge about the effectiveness of body-worn cameras (BWCs) through exploring the perceptions of English police officers in three principal areas: positive perceptions, negative perceptions and evidence-focussed perceptions. In doing so, the purpose of this paper is to shed new light on the democratising process in the habitus of policing.
Design/methodology/approach
This study presents a novel data set that evaluates the introduction of BWC to police officers in the East Midlands area of England. The authors conducted an extensive survey to explore the perceptions of 162 police officers about the BWCs. The authors examined the empirical data using Stata within the theoretical framework of Pierre Bourdieu concerning the concept of habitus.
Findings
The authors have found that most police officers perceive that BWCs have a positive impact on policing practices and evidence collection. The positive perceptions and evidence-focussed perceptions increase the importance of BWCs; however, there are also negative perceptions regarding effective policing, administrative functionality and establishing a better relationship with the community. The authors argued that all three areas: positive perceptions, negative perceptions and evidence-focussed perceptions play a stimulating role to democratise the habitus of policing. On the other hand, BWCs do not guarantee the consolidation of democratic principles in the habitus of policing because of the authority of police to decide when, where and how to use BWCs.
Research limitations/implications
The research is limited to the perceptions of 162 police officers in East Midlands before they actually started using it. A future study to analyse their real-life experiences after using the BWCs may help us to compare their perceptions before using it with real-life experiences after BWCs are used. In addition, a comparative approach between countries in future research will help to explain the role of technological applications in different social geographies and legal systems.
Originality/value
This study offers new insights about the perceptions of police on BWCs before they started using them. The authors introduce the democratic habitus of policing as an innovative concept and explored power dynamics in the habitus of policing through BWCs. The findings provide a strong empirical contribution to determine the conditions of democratic habitus of policing. In doing so, this study develops our theoretical knowledge about the habitus concept in sociology by employing BWCs in policing activities.
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Sean Patrick Roche, Danielle M. Fenimore and Paul Taylor
American police agencies' swift adoption of body-worn camera (BWC) technology, coupled with the ubiquity of smartphones and social media, has led to a “new visibility” of…
Abstract
Purpose
American police agencies' swift adoption of body-worn camera (BWC) technology, coupled with the ubiquity of smartphones and social media, has led to a “new visibility” of policing. Video recordings are often touted as objective evidentiary accounts of police-civilian interactions. Yet even these recordings are rarely seen in a vacuum, but instead accompanied by headlines and accounts.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a diverse sample of young American adults (N = 943) and an experimental design incorporating a short poorly recorded BWC video embedded within a survey, this study investigates perceptions of the appropriateness of police behavior in an ambiguous situation where officers used deadly force on a Black civilian. All respondents viewed the same video, but were randomly assigned to one of four ultimate outcomes.
Findings
Respondents overwhelmingly reported the BWC video was personally important and significant for a subsequent investigation and public opinion. The experimental manipulation, along with background factors, exerted a substantial effect on perceptions of the officers' actions. Respondents found the officers' actions more appropriate when told the civilian held a weapon.
Originality/value
Americans are divided on the role of police in a democratic society. Objective accounts like video recordings may be used to build consensus, but our results, derived from a novel method and dataset, suggest deeper cognitive biases must also be overcome.
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Liam Bruton, Hunter Johnson, Luke MacKey, Aaron Farok, Liz Thyer and Paul M. Simpson
Recent evidence indicates an increasing incidence of occupational violence (OV) towards paramedics. Body-worn cameras (BWC) have been posited as an intervention that may deter…
Abstract
Purpose
Recent evidence indicates an increasing incidence of occupational violence (OV) towards paramedics. Body-worn cameras (BWC) have been posited as an intervention that may deter perpetrators, leading to a growing number of ambulance services introducing BWCs at a considerable financial cost. This study aims to investigate the impact of BWC on the incidence of OV towards paramedics.
Design/methodology/approach
A systematic review was conducted according to the JBI methodology. EMBASE, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, MEDLINE, Cochrane reviews, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, JBI systematic reviews, TROVE and Google Scholar were searched to identify primary research studies reporting on BWCs as an intervention against an outcome of OV incidence. Primary research papers, publicly-accessible government reports, peer-reviewed and grey literature, if published in English, were eligible.
Findings
The search identified 152 documents, of which 125 were assessed following the removal of duplicates. Following abstract screening then full-text review, there were no studies available to include in the review.
Research limitations/implications
The introduction of interventions should be supported by evidence and an analysis of associated health economics. There is a need for ambulance services that have implemented BWC initiatives to make evaluation data available publicly for transparent review to inform decision-making elsewhere in the profession.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, these findings represent the first investigation of BWCs as a strategy to reduce the incidence of OV towards paramedics. They highlight the need to apply research frameworks rigorously and transparently to OV reduction initiatives to ensure paramedics are protected by evidence-based strategies.
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The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of surveillance from civilian smartphones and police body-worn cameras (BWCs), procedurally just tactics, and legal…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of surveillance from civilian smartphones and police body-worn cameras (BWCs), procedurally just tactics, and legal culpability on individuals’ emotional reactions and willingness to comply during police interactions.
Design/methodology/approach
Data are used from two randomized factorial survey vignette experiments conducted with a national sample of Americans (n=962).
Findings
The presence of BWCs reduces reported fear in both vignettes, and also reduces reported anger in one vignette. In contrast, the presence of a smartphone is not significantly related to anger or fear. In both vignettes, non-procedurally just treatment increases reported fear and anger, and decreases intent to comply, with reported anger mediating the relationship between non-procedurally just treatment and compliance.
Originality/value
These findings suggest different forms of surveillance may have distinct effects on citizens’ reported emotional states and behavioral intentions. Further, the results corroborate research on the relationship between procedural justice and affect, and provide evidence procedurally just strategies may decrease crime directly by preemptively dampening non-compliance.
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Lois James, Stephen James and Renée Jean Mitchell
The authors evaluated the impact of an anti-bias training intervention for improving police behavior during interactions with community members and public perceptions of…
Abstract
Purpose
The authors evaluated the impact of an anti-bias training intervention for improving police behavior during interactions with community members and public perceptions of discrimination.
Design/methodology/approach
Fifty patrol officers from a diverse municipal agency were randomly selected to participate in an anti-bias intervention. Before and after the intervention, a random selection of Body Worn Camera (BWC) videos from the intervention group as well as from a control group of officers was coded using a validated tool for coding police “performance” during interactions with the public. Discrimination-based community member complaints were also collected before and after the intervention for treatment and control group officers.
Findings
The treatment group had a small but significant increase in performance scores compared to control group officers, F = 4.736, p = 0.009, R2ß < 0.01. They also had a small but significantly reduced number of discrimination-based complaints compared to control group officers, F = 3.042, p = 0.049, p2 = 0.015. These results suggest that anti-bias training could have an impact on officer behaviors during interactions with public and perceptions of discrimination.
Originality/value
Although these results are from a single municipal police department, this is the first study to suggest that anti-bias trainings may have a positive behavioral impact on police officers as well as the first to illustrate the potential for their impact on community members' perceptions of biased treatment by officers.
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Paula M. Di Nota, Bryce E. Stoliker, Adam D. Vaughan, Judith P. Andersen and Gregory S. Anderson
The purpose of this study isto synthesize recent empirical research investigating memory of stressful critical incidents (both simulated and occurring in the field) among law…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study isto synthesize recent empirical research investigating memory of stressful critical incidents (both simulated and occurring in the field) among law enforcement officers.
Design/methodology/approach
The study used the approach of systematic state-of-the-art review.
Findings
In total, 20 studies of police and military officers show reduced detail and accuracy of high- versus low-stress incidents, especially for peripheral versus target information. Decrements in memory performance were mediated by the extent of physiological stress responses. Delayed recall accuracy was improved among officers that engaged in immediate post-incident rehearsal, including independent debriefing or reviewing body-worn camera footage.
Research limitations/implications
Most studies were not found through systematic database searches, highlighting a need for broader indexing and/or open access publishing to make research more accessible.
Practical implications
By understanding how stress physiology enhances or interferes with memory encoding, consolidation and recall, evidence-based practices surrounding post-incident evidence gathering are recommended.
Social implications
The current review addresses common public misconceptions of enhanced cognitive performance among police relative to the average citizen.
Originality/value
The current work draws from scientific knowledge about the pervasive influence of stress physiology on memory to inform existing practices surrounding post-incident evidence gathering among police.
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