Michael White moderates DOJ discussion on officer-worn video cameras
Professor Michael White will moderate a discussion on the use of body-worn video cameras at the Office of Justice Programs in Washington, D.C. Friday, August 8. White is also a senior diagnostic specialist for the Office of Justice Programs Diagnostic Center and authored an assessment of empirical studies on the use of body-worn cameras by five US police agencies, including Mesa and Phoenix.
“Unfortunately, police departments often adopt new technologies before the issues surrounding implementation, impact and consequences are fully understood,” says White. “This is where research comes in. It is our job to study the implementation and impact of new technologies, such as body-worn cameras, so police can make informed decisions about whether to adopt the latest innovation--or not.”
Joining White for the discussion will be James Brooks, Deputy Chief of Police in Laurel, Maryland, Jessica Mansourian, policy analyst at the US Department of Justice Community Oriented Policing Services, and Emily Gunston, special counsel in the Police Practice Group of the Civil Rights Division at the Justice Department. They’ll speak before a group of invited local law enforcement leaders, Department of Justice staff and members of the criminal justice community.
“The issues surrounding deployment of body-worn cameras in the field are considerable, from privacy issues of police and citizens to resource requirements,” White says.
White’s analysis of research found cameras can have a civilizing effect, reducing the number of citizen complaints against officers, assaults against officers, and the use of force by officers. But the specific civilizing effects of the technology remain unclear. Does it change citizen behavior, officer behavior, or both? Body-worn video cameras may also prove beneficial to police officer recruit training. White thinks they can serve as a training tool at police academies.
“Post-hoc review of recruits' behavior during simulated encounters can provide immediate feedback to the new officer, including both positive reinforcement for a job well done, and constructive criticism for mistakes made,” observes White.
One of the key benefits of video cameras is the role they play in collecting evidence that can assist investigations and prosecution while reducing the amount of time and paperwork. They can also be helpful in analyzing critical incidents such as use of force. White says when police departments review an officers' behavior during a critical incident, they typically focus on what’s called the "final frame decision" -what was happening at the instant before the officer used force. Such reviews can ignore previous decisions made by the officer that led up to the use of force.
“Police-citizen encounters are like chess matches with each participant making moves and responding to the moves of the other party,” explains White. “Final frame review only looks at the last move.
Were their earlier points in the encounter where the officer missed an opportunity to de-escalate the situation? Did the officer make bad tactical decisions that made a force outcome inevitable? Body-worn cameras provide the full picture of a police-citizen encounter and allow for comprehensive review of police officer behavior.”
While his review of empirical studies offers a glimpse of the potential of body-worn cameras, White cautions there are is simply not enough evidence to offer a definitive recommendation for agencies considering them as a tool.