Body Cameras Pros And Cons

Before enforcing police body-worn cameras nationwide, there were case studies carried out in the police departments of the 100 largest cities in the United States to determine whether body cameras demonstrate beneficial results in various locations, and will allow officers to regain a strong relationship with citizens (Fan). Primarily, the first case study on body cameras was performed in Rialto, California, which demonstrated the benefits that these devices may bring to both officers and the public. There were 100,000 residents, nearly half being minorities, during the twelve-month case study (Force). One limitation of this case study was that there was a small sample size since Rialto is a small city with far less crime than, for instance, …show more content…
A six-month case study was conducted by the Denver Police Department, “one of the largest state and local law enforcement agencies in the United States”. One district, referred to as the “treatment district”, was given body-worn cameras and the outcomes were compared to the other five districts. During the six-month experiment in Denver, a large city full of crime, the results suggested a 38% increase in the overall number of complaints towards officers, which represents a limitation in the evidence supporting the benefits of body cameras. However, the randomized controlled trial with the 650,000 residents of Denver, also demonstrated a 50% reduction in the use of force by officers with cameras, and a 90% decrease in the number of citizen complaints, in comparison to the complaints twelve months prior to the six-month experiment. The experiments, therefore, suggest an increase in efficiency of an area with the use of body cameras because they may reduce unwarranted complaints, the use of force, and provide objective evidence of encounters