1. Police Officers’ Perceptions of Body-Worn Cameras in the Buffalo and Rochester Police Departments
Joseph A. Gramaglia, MPA Project - Dr. Scott Phillips (Project Advisor)/Dr. Laurie Buonanno (Second Reader)
Key Findings
Findings were consistent across both BPD and RPD respondents, suggesting consensus among officers in their attitudes toward BWCs. Main findings with respect to attitudes follow:
-BWCs will not increase public trust in officers.
-BWCs will affect their coworkers’ decision to use force.
-BWCs will show a more accurate account of what occurred, will improve quality of evidence, and will help secure convictions.
-Advantages of a BWC program outweigh disadvantages.
-Officers support BWC for all officers.
-With proper training, officers will feel confident in their use.
-Officers would communicate less with partners on patrol.
-Coworkers are less likely to accept BWCs.
-Coworkers will be less likely to make stops and arrests when using BWC and will have less discretion..
-Coworkers will be more likely to follow department procedures with BWC.
Literature Review
There is a relatively new, but rapidly growing body of literature about BWCs. A variety of studies have been conducted, including surveys of officer and even randomized controlled trials (experimental design). Several studies have demonstrated BWC use has reduced complaints against officers and reduced the amount of use of force in arrests by officers. There are a few studies of police officers perceptions, which are revealing a generally positive attitude about BWCs.
Police officers are Lipsky’s classic street-level bureaucrats, exercising a great deal of discretion in the normal course of their work day. BWCs threaten to undermine police discretion and potentially could change the nature of policing. BWCs could also be used by supervisors to monitor arrest rates, traffic stops, etc. that the public has not considered in its call for widespread adoption of BWCs. Some police departments are struggling with the costs of storage, the additional burden on courts, DAs, personnel to manage to the BWC program, and so forth. These are the “hidden costs” some municipalities have neglected to calculate.
Purpose Statement
The purpose of this research study is to measure and report perceptions of Buffalo Police Department (BPD) and Rochester Police Department (RPD) officers with respect to Body-Worn Cameras (BWC). This information should prove useful to PDs and public officials in Buffalo and Rochester as they actively consider the adoption of BWCs for their respective departments.
Background
Recent issues with police officers’ use of force have led to increased calls for BWCs as a monitoring mechanism for citizen/police encounters. The cameras are small devices that hook to an officer’s uniform or exterior vest and capture an officer’s actions while interacting with the public.
The federal government and municipalities are seeking ways to outfit more officers with the BWC. Despite a general sense among the citizenry that BWCs are a positive advance in policing, little is known about officers’ perceptions. Yet to implement BWCs in the most seamless manner possible, it is important to understand police officers’ concerns. This researcher is a chief in BPD as well as a member of BPD’s BWC-taskforce. He included RPD in his study due to that department’s interest in officers’ perceptions. Furthermore, conducting a study of two PDs contributes to a nascent literature on police officers’ attitudes to BWCs. For example, if similar perceptions are found in these two comparable cities (most similar systems approach), other mid-sized cities may feel more confident about officers’ perceptions of BWCs without having to expend time and funds for administering surveys in their respective departments.
Methodology
Quantitative – consisting of a web-administered (Qualtrics Platform) questionnaire. The survey instrument used in this study is currently in use by the LAPD. The survey attempts to obtain police officers views towards patrol work, what citizens would/ should do and various areas of the use of body worn cameras and how officers would react in situations.
Sample
The URL was distributed via department to every sworn member of each department (the entire population) officers from both Buffalo (151) and Rochester (105).
Implications, Recommendations
The decision to adopt a BWC program is complex – involving cost considerations and “buy-in” for officers.
Agencies should follow the U.S. Department of Justice Tool Kit and include all stakeholders in the policymaking process. Adequate training is key to implementing a BWC program because over 70% of officers will feel confident in their use if properly trained. Agencies must also develop a strong and clear cut policy on activation, review, and how BWC use affects an officer’s discretion. This study’s survey findings should be generalizable to other U.S. mid-sized cities.