Summary
Coverage of recent police killings has
prompted a much-needed debate on law
enforcement reform, and proposals for
police body cameras have featured heavily
in these discussions. Body cameras undoubtedly
gather valuable evidence of police misconduct,
and although research on the effects of body cameras is
comparatively limited there are good reasons to believe
that they can improve police behavior.
However, without the right policies in place the use of
police body cameras could result in citizens’ privacy being
needlessly violated. In addition, poorly considered police
body camera policies governing the storage and release of
footage might be too costly to implement.
This paper examines the research on the costs and
benefits of police body cameras, arguing that the devices
can, if properly deployed and regulated, provide a
valuable disincentive to police abuses as well as valuable
evidence for punishing abuses when they occur.
No one-size-fits-all set of body camera policies should
be imposed on the thousands of police departments across
the United States, which vary significantly in size as well
as the crime rates they face. Nonetheless, the policies that
municipal, state, and federal actors adopt will need to address
transparency, accountability, and privacy in order to
realize the potential benefits of wearable cameras. Toward
that end, this paper outlines a number of best practices designed
to help law enforcement agencies at all levels address
the privacy and fiscal issues associated with body cameras.
By themselves, body cameras are not a police misconduct
panacea. Police misconduct can only be adequately
addressed by implementing significant reforms to police
practices and training. Still, body cameras can serve as an
important component of police reform.