Wall Street Journal, Time magazine quote Professor Michael White

Following the shooting of an unarmed 18-year old man by a police officer in Missouri, attention is focusing on how to prevent such episodes.  One option being tested in police departments across the country is the use of uniform-mounted video cameras. 

The Wall Street Journal and Time magazine talked to ASU criminology professor Michael White, who has analyzed the five studies done to date on the use of body-mounted cameras by police departments. Two of the studies are from the ASU School of Criminology and Criminal Justice (Mesa Police Department) and the other is from the ASU Center for Violence Prevention and Community Safety (Phoenix Police Department).

 "It could be as little as 10 years until we see most police wearing these," White told the Wall Street Journal.

White compares the use of uniform-mounted cameras to what happened with the use of Taser stun guns after they were first introduced in the 1990's. They were adopted for use after an intial period of testing. Nowadays, most police agencies use Taser stun guns. 

The cameras haven't proven as effective deterant for bad behavior. 

In the city of Rialto, California,  the number of officer use of force cases dropped 60% after officers started wearing cameras.  Citizen complaints against police fell also declined substantially, by 88%.

But there is resistance to adopting the cameras by some in law enforcement who view the devices as inhibiting the ability to do their job. White cautions the use of uniform-mounted cameras may not be necessarily be effective in defusing flash points.

White told Time magazine the body of evidence isn't largest enough yet to know the true effects of body-worn cameras by police agencies, the early results are promising. He thinks it may have made a difference in establishing the facts of the officer involving shooting in Ferguson. 

So far, White as not come across any similar encounters by police agencies using the cameras.

But I couldn’t help but think, what would’ve happened if the officer was wearing a body-worn camera?” added White.