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Serving our communities, protecting them from harm

West Midlands Police. Body Worn Video Camera Experiment Rialto P.D. California T/Insp 3908 Darren Henstock. Serving our communities, protecting them from harm. The problem. The public’s perception of police use of force continues to be a problem.

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Serving our communities, protecting them from harm

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  1. West Midlands Police Body Worn Video Camera Experiment Rialto P.D. California T/Insp 3908 Darren Henstock Serving our communities, protecting them from harm

  2. The problem • The public’s perception of police use of force continues to be a problem. • “Too many” incidents in which officers resort to use of force. • Misinterpretation of contact or aggressive behaviour? • “High number” of citizen complaints against police officers. • True officer misbehaviour or malicious complaints?

  3. The Challenges • Reducing use of force and complaints without changing the frequency and nature of contact with the public • Requires third-party systematic observation that would scientifically measure both the implementation and the outcome of the practice • Cost effectiveness • Leadership – can we implement this research

  4. Cameras in Police Use • 61% of police departments used video cameras in patrol cars in 2007. (U.S. Department of Justice 2010) • Cameras are likely to: • Improve accountability • Reduce complaints of police misconduct • Save thousands of dollars in court costs • Lower overtime costs for investigations and court appearances • Improve ability to collect evidence for trial • Increase professionalism by forcing officers to give more attention to following agency rules. (International Association of Police Chiefs, 2004)

  5. Evidence on Cameras • Systematic review on CCTV – 44 studies show 16% reduction in crime compared to control conditions, but half accountable to car theft, not violent crime (Welsh and Farrington 2009). • Systematic review on cameras on roads – 35 studies show 44% reduction in fatal accidents (Wilson et al. 2010). • BWV – no formal evaluation.

  6. Research Questions • Will wearing body-worn video cameras reduce the number of complaints against officers compared to the control group? • Will wearing body-worn video cameras reduce the number (instances) of use of force compared to the control group?

  7. Research Design • Random assignment of all front-line officers to shifts with or without cameras • Taser Inc. HD cameras recording all police-public interactions for 12 months. • Went live 13th February 2012 after two weeks of Phase 1.

  8. Results - complaints

  9. Results – Use of force

  10. Summary • Reduction in use of force incidents from 61 to 25. • Of the 25 use of force incidents, 17 were in control group and 8 in the experiment. • Of the 8 use of force incidents on the experiment days, all 8 were recorded on video • Reduction in complaints from 24 to 3. • Contacts increased from the previous years – no backfiring effect. • Survey of all officers before and during RCT shows no significant changes in officers’ self-legitimacy

  11. Further work • Randomised Control Trial in the West Midlands supported by Cambridge University in order to replicate Rialto project. • Full Rialto presentation and wider implications can be found at: http://www.crim.cam.ac.uk/events/conferences/ebp/2013/slides/effects_of_body_worn_tony_farrar.pptx

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