Justin Ready talks to 12 News about his officer-worn camera research

 

Assistant professor Justin Ready examined the Mesa Police Department’s use of officer-worn video cameras in 2013.  He told 12 News reporter William Pitts that their use resulted in a dramatic drop in complaints against officers wearing the cameras compared to a control group without cameras. 

12 News reported that having more police with cameras can provide more transparency and will help clear up discrepancies.

“We’re finding large reductions in citizen complaints," Ready tells Pitts. "We’re finding more accountability.”

But Ready cautioned that cameras don’t tell the whole story when it comes to interactions between officers and citizens.

“If we have a video file, we know what happens there,” says Ready. “We don’t know how that incident is framed or contextualized. What happened before? How it was initiated?”

Watch the story here.