Body-worn cameras and officer perceptions: a mixed-method pretest posttest of patrol officers and supervisors

ABSTRACT

The adoption of police body-worn cameras (BWCs) is likely inevitable. This technology has significant implications for police–community relations, enhanced trust and transparency, and complaint investigation. Little is known about officer, or supervisor, attitudes toward BWCs. These dimensions are critical as officer investment and agency policy influence BWC usage and effectiveness. This research uses a mixed-method approach, pairing officer surveys with focus groups of patrol officers and focus groups of supervisors. University police officers participated in the survey using a census approach with near full participation. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected pre- and post-implementation to address attitudinal changes toward BWCs. Results indicate officer and supervisor support for BWCs. Many of the concerns that officers raised in the pretest, including fear of negative evaluations, internal investigations, and technology issues, were not realized. Connecting officer and supervisor perspectives provides guidance for agencies considering adoption and/or implementation of BWCs.

KEYWORDS:

• Police
• body-worn cameras
• police–community relations

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

William V. Pelfrey

William V. Pelfrey, Jr., is an Associate Professor at Virginia Commonwealth University in the Criminal Justice Department and the Homeland Security/Emergency Preparedness Department, which he chairs. He earned his Ph.D. in Criminal Justice from Temple University and his master’s in Clinical Psychology from Radford University. He has published scholarly articles in the areas of policing, homeland security, the psychology of the offender, and cyberbullying. His articles have appeared in a variety of criminology, criminal justice, homeland security, and interdisciplinary journals.

Steven Keener

Steven Keener is a Lecturer in the Department of Sociology, Social Work and Anthropology at Christopher Newport University where he teaches criminology. He completed his Ph.D. in Public Policy with a criminal justice concentration at the Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at Virginia Commonwealth University in 2017. He studies school and campus safety, threat assessment, and campus crime. Dr. Keener earned his master’s in criminal justice from VCU and his undergraduate degree from Christopher Newport University.