Pros And Cons Of Body Worn Cameras

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The mission of implementing a body-worn camera system is to increase police legitimacy and procedural justice through impacting police officer decision-making that will subsequently reduce police misconduct, resulting in a reduction in officer complaints and levels of excessive use of force. The program will reduce liability and distrust of the police department by enhancing police legitimacy and procedural justice. Additionally, reductions in officer complaints and levels of excessive use of force will strengthen relationships with the community. The goal of the program is to improve officer decision-making through a body-worn camera system that increases supervision capabilities.
Pros and Cons of the Program
Pros
The initial startup cost …show more content…

Yokum et al. (2017) conducted one of the largest research experiments on the use of body-worn cameras on officer complaints and use of force with the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, DC. Remarkably, despite the unusually large scale of their experiment, no statistically significant effect was detected on the use of body-worn cameras and officer complaints or use of force (Yokum et al., 2017). Similarly, in single year pre and post analysis of officer complaints with the Medford Police Department, year-to-year differences showed as little as 1% change (Medford Police Department, 2018). However, White (2014) identified that body-worn cameras may have potential impacts that are positive and exceed the effects on individual officers. Yokum et al. (2017) reinforces the idea that despite the lack of statistically significant effects, the use of body-worn cameras may support the training officers have and decisions they make in dealing with rapidly developing and unpredictable …show more content…

The use of body-worn cameras increases officer accountability through increased supervision capabilities and transparency of individual officer actions. Farrar (2013) also identified findings of a positive relationship between rational choice theory and police officer decision-making through the self-awareness effect of being watched. Body-worn cameras act as a silent witness and a digital presence of supervision acting as a rule enforcer driving officers' decision-making to follow rules, procedure, and law (Gaub et al.,

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