The Quarterly Fall 2019

The Quarterly The Quarterly keeps our law enforcement agencies and their partners and supporters informed of developments, trends, and news within the body-worn camera (BWC) field and encourages involvement in our ongoing activities. The Quarterly  provides the most up-to-date tools and technical assistance materials for your continued success in navigating and implementing a long-lasting, successful BWC program.

In this Issue:  BWC TTA Team Spotlight Spotlight on BWC Resource Featured BWC TTA Resources Latest Research on BWCs Special Feature: LE Tech Talk Podcast Series In Case You Missed It! Practices from the Field BWCs in the News Quick Links BJA National Body-Worn Camera Toolkit Request BWC Training and Technical Assistance  BWC TTA Website

The BWC TTA Team Spotlight

Orlando Cuevas In addition to CNA and its partners, ASU and JSS, our team also includes a network of subject matter experts. These subject matter experts have expertise in a wide variety of topics, such as - use of force, technology, body-worn cameras, community collaboration, prosecution, crime prevention, and research. Chief Cuevas has served as a BWC TTA Lead and subject matter expert since 2016. He has nearly 25 years of experience in the law enforcement field. His entire law enforcement career was spent with the Camden County Police Department. He has served in many different areas of the department including, patrol, crime-scene investigation, evidence and investigations. He held the positions of Lieutenant, Inspector of Operations, and Inspector of Support Services and Investigative Services. In 2013, he became the Deputy Chief and then later was promoted to Assistant Chief of Police in the Fall of 2013. Chief Cuevas retired from the Camden County Police Department as Assistant Chief in the Fall of 2016. Chief Cuevas has great expertise in many different areas of law enforcement. Some of the areas include but are not limited to: police administration and operations, criminal investigations, community relations, strategic operations and public safety technology, large scale operations, interagency partnerships, and BWC technology. Chief Cuevas has also served as a TTA lead to over 35 BWC PIP sites. Meet the rest of the BWC TTA team here.

Spotlight on BWC Resource

Prosecutorial and Public Defender Perceptions: Anticipated Impact of Police Body-Worn Cameras on Jurors' Decision Making Fact Sheet, 2019 This research studies how prosecutors and public defenders (PDs) in three counties adapt to body-worn cameras (BWCs) in their everyday practice and the perceived value of BWC video as evidence in their cases. More specifically, the researchers consider prosecutorial and PD notions regarding the effect of BWC footage on jurors’ expectations and the effect of BWCs on juror decision making. The resulting article reviews the literature with a focus on decision making, the role uncertainty plays in negotiation, and how new evidence, such as the CSI effect (unrealistic juror expectations about the types and extent of forensic evidence, or in this context, video, available in a criminal case), is anticipated to influence jurors. The CSI effect, resulting from an overwhelming amount of crime television shows, explains the widespread phenomenon of civilians’ misperceptions of the practicality of the criminal justice system. Qualitative results drawn from in-depth interviews inform quantitative analyses from surveys. This Fact Sheet is a summary of a larger report, scheduled for release in the coming months.

Featured BWC TTA Resources

BWC Discovery Protective Order The San Diego County District Attorney's Office created a Body-Worn Camera (BWC) Discovery Protective Order. This order is used for the release of BWC footage prior to adjudication.  See the order here. In View: Commentary from BWC Experts In View Commentaries feature commentary from BWC experts, including researchers, practitioners, and policy makers. Read the recent In Views here : Prosecutorial and Public Defender Perceptions Understanding the Costs and Benefits of Implementing a BWC Program BWCs - Understanding the Union Perspective BWC TTA Weekly Newsletters The BWC TTA Weekly Newsletters provide up to date information on current In View Commentaries, BWC Resources, Webinars, Podcasts, BWCs in the News, and the BWC Technology Corner. To subscribe to these newsletters, please email the BWC TTA team at bwctta@cna.org.

Latest Research on Body-Worn Cameras

Fairfax County Police Department's Body-Worn Camera Pilot Project: An Evaluation  Abstract:   In 2017, the Fairfax County (Virginia) Police Department, known as FCPD, decided to launch a pilot implementation of body-worn cameras (BWCs) to learn what the technology involved, the response of its officers to it, what community members and local organization leaders would think, and the changes in policing practices and outcomes that would occur. Some police agencies in the Metropolitan Washington, DC area had already adopted BWCs and there was a push nation-wide to implement them quickly in the face of numerous high-profile and controversial interactions between police and citizens. FCPD officials wanted to proceed more cautiously and conduct a BWC pilot program first. They asked a team of researchers at American University in Washington, DC, to assist them.  Implicate or Exonerate? The Impact of Police Body-Worn Cameras on the Adjudication of Drug and Alcohol Cases Abstract: Drug and alcohol offences represent a significant portion of police work. Officers commonly rely on subjective indicators of intoxication, and prosecutors depend on officer evidence collection, written reports, and testimony at trial. Police body-worn cameras (BWCs) have diffused widely in policing partly due to their perceived evidentiary value, but the extent to which BWCs affect the adjudication of such offences remains unanswered. The current study explores this question with 7,000 misdemeanour cases from Tempe (Arizona), filed from 2014 to 2017. The Tempe Police Department deployed BWCs from November 2015 to May 2016. Results indicate that BWCs had no impact on guilty outcomes, but cameras were associated with significantly shorter time to adjudication. We discuss the important policy implications of these thought-provoking findings.

Body-Worn Cameras: Evidence-Base and Implications Abstract: Body-worn cameras (BWCs) have become a popular technology for use in police forces around the world; however, little is known about the effects of this technology on policing and on the criminal justice system more generally. In this article, we discuss reported benefits and limitations of body-worn cameras. We examine the current evidence-base for BWCs and the legislative framework in NSW. We then raise four key issues that we believe require further empirical attention: (1) bias involved in viewing BWC recordings; (2) the effect of BWCs on officer memory and credibility; (3) the effect of BWCs on officer well-being; and (4) specific considerations involved when officers review their own recordings. By raising such issues, we hope to provoke discussion and further research about the implementation of BWCs. Appropriate guidelines and legislation must aim to maximise the effectiveness of the technology as well as balance ethical and cultural demands. Body-Worn Cameras as a Potential Source of Depolicing: Testing for Camera-Induced Passivity Abstract: Contentious debate is currently taking place regarding the extent to which public scrutiny of the police post-Ferguson has led to depolicing or to a decrease in proactive policework. Advocates of the “Ferguson effect” claim the decline in proactive policing increased violent crime and assaults on the police. Although police body-worn cameras (BWCs) are touted as a police reform that can generate numerous benefits, they also represent a form of internal and public surveillance on the police. The surveillance aspect of BWCs suggests that BWCs may generate depolicing through camera-induced passivity. We test this question with data from a randomized controlled trial of BWCs in Spokane (WA) by assessing the impact of BWCs on four measures: officer-initiated calls, arrests, response time, and time on scene. We employ hierarchical linear and cross-classified models to test for between- and within-group differences in outcomes before and after the randomized BWC rollout. Our results demonstrate no evidence of statistically significant camera-induced passivity across any of the four outcomes.In fact,self-initiated calls increased for officers assigned to treatment during the RCT. We discuss the theoretical and policy implications of the findings for the ongoing dialogue in policing.

Special Feature:   LE Tech Talk Podcast Series

The “LE Tech Talk” podcast series, developed by the BWC TTA team, consists of both interviews and audio resources. The first five episodes of the series include an interview with a Captain in the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transit Authority Police Department, an audio resource on creating a crisis communication plan, an overview of BWC resources, tips for overcoming BWC technological issues, and a discussion of BWC successes and challenges. Future podcasts will cover such topics as training and management, BWC implementation strategies, and communication. Look for more episodes in this exciting series soon! To listen to the LE Tech Talk podcasts, click here. To subscribe to different channels, click on the images below. 

In Case You Missed It!

The Evidentiary Value of Body-Worn Camera Footage: Perspectives from the Field Webinar On August 28, 2019, the BWC TTA provider hosted a webinar on the evidentiary value of body-worn camera (BWC) footage. This webinar focused on the perspectives and experiences of Assistant District Attorneys (ADAs) and Public Defenders (PDs) about the role BWC video footage plays in their respective work streams. This webinar also described several benefits and disadvantages of the use of BWCs in a court of law, focusing on the context of time, expectations, and anticipated consequences. This webinar was based on research conducted in three sites: Monroe County, New York; San Diego County, California; and Travis County, Texas. To view the webinar, clic k  here .

Practices from the Field

Body-Worn Cameras and Special Events Policing: The Des Moines Story Special events pose many challenges to law enforcement. Increasingly the police find themselves tasked with providing safety and security at sporting events, political rallies, open air concerts and fairs. Such events often involve very large crowds, emotions can run high (such as at sporting events) and where alcohol may be involved. The Des Moines Police Department faced two such events in the past six months. In March 2019 the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament held first round games in Des Moines. This was followed by the annual Iowa State Fair, an event that lasts a week and a half on three acres and is attended by more than 1 million people. Neither of these events are new to Des Moines; what was new in 2019 was that Des Moines police officers were equipped with body-worn cameras. Funded by grants from the Bureau of Justice Assistance, the department was anxious to deploy cameras to assist in providing safety and security for the public, corporate sponsors and participants in these events. The use of body-worn cameras was integrated into training and deployment for the events and the safety plan for each event. A key element of the training was de-escalation, and footage from both events is being used to enhance de-escalation training for both special event and routine policing. The department received its supplemental allocation of cameras shortly before the basketball tournament but managed to power up and program all the cameras in time for the tournament. Department officials report the behavior of the public improved because of presence of the cameras, especially at the state fair. The public were more understanding of the actions of the officers because of their ability to review the incident on the cameras. The ability to show the video to persons at these events revealed that the publics’ behavior is often not what they thought it was. The publics viewing of that video was guided by a carefully thought out policy. Des Moines BWC Policy states that "Supervisors may review video with citizens, family, attorneys, etc. to address inquiries or complaints." The intelligence gathered from the cameras has also proven to be beneficial for a variety of events, owing largely to the presence of persons, objects or events in the background. The camera footage often allowed for a second perspective on an event. The Des Moines Police Department has integrated body worn cameras into its operations department-wide, providing another way to enhance safety and promote confidence in local law enforcement.  If your agency would like to be featured in the next issue of The Quarterly , please contact us .

Body-Worn Cameras in the News

Police Say Complaints Have Dropped Thanks to Body Cameras www.usnews.com The cameras are rolling, and the Henderson Police Department couldn't appreciate it more. One year after equipping officers with body cameras, police officials told The Gleaner that the new tool is assisting in many ways, but in particular - conflict resolution.

Body-Worn Cameras Seen as Tool for Accountability, Trust by New Springfield Police Lieutenant www.masslive.com As the old saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. Springfield police hope a film is worth at least that much, especially when the words of the accused and those of the arresting officer don’t match. Richard Randolph, a 27-year veteran of the force who was promoted to lieutenant on Monday, will supervise the introduction of body-worn cameras by Springfield police.

New Body Cameras Offer Evidence When Police Aim a Gun at a Person www.patch.com Currently 1,700 Phoenix officers are suiting up with body cameras including community-response squads, the crisis-intervention team, and all patrol officers. By the end of this year, community-action officers, neighborhood-enforcement teams, SWAT teams, the downtown-operations unit, and traffic officers will find themselves wearing body cameras too.

St. Louis County Police Department to Become Largest in Missouri With Mandatory Body Cameras www.bodyworn.com St. Louis County will soon outfit its entire police department with body cameras, becoming the largest department in Missouri to do so. Nearly 700 officers will wear the cameras at all times by April,  St. Louis Public Radio reported . In July, the county council approved a $5 million allocation to pay for the cameras and unlimited data storage. A half-cent sales tax increase for public safety, approved by voters in November 2017, will fund the police department’s five-year contract with its provider.

Don't forget to follow us on social media! Click on the icons below to stay up to date on all that BWC TTA has to offer!

‌ ‌

Request TTA

Visit our website

Points of view or opinions in this content are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the US Department of Justice.

This project was supported by Grant No. 2015-DE-BX-K002 awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Department of Justice's Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the Office for Victims of Crime, and the SMART Office. Points of view or opinions in this document are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the US Department of Justice. Points of view or opinions in this content are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the US Department of Justice.