It’s not the camera. It’s the cop wearing it
Are police body cameras overrated? A new study argues that the answer is yes.
The Lab@DC research group studied the use of cameras by the Washington, D.C. Police Department, which has 2,300 officers. Researchers wanted to determine whether the cameras significantly affected the officers’ behavior — such as using force less often.
Last month, the group released its results, concluding, “We are unable to detect any statistically significant effects. As such, our experiment suggests that we should recalibrate our expectations of (body cameras.)
“Law enforcement agencies … should not expect dramatic reductions in use-of-force complaints, or other large-scale shifts in police behavior, solely from the deployment of this technology. Body-worn cameras may have great utility in specific policing scenarios, but we cannot conclude from this experiment that they can be expected to produce large, department-wide improvements in outcomes.” Ouch.
Momentum to equip officers with cameras began in mid-2014, after a white officer in Ferguson, Mo., shot and killed Michael Brown, an 18-year-old African-American. Momentum built with each successive officer-involved shooting in which there was doubt about the officer’s action but no video.
South Florida cities joined the movement. Last year, when Delray Beach began its program, Mayor Cary Glickstein said, “In five years, the agency that doesn’t have it is going to be viewed as archaic.” Boca Raton and Boynton Beach also are adding the cameras. So are Coral Springs, Pembroke Pines and the Broward County Sheriff ’s Office has a program. The Palm Beach Sheriff ’s Office remains a holdout.
The expense includes more than the cameras. Departments must purchase storage to hold recordings long enough for use as evidence or for release as a public record. New personnel must maintain and supervise the archives. Eventually, departments must buy new cameras.
Supporters justify the cost by touting increased public trust and accountability. Not only do cameras protect civilians, they also protect officers. Video may uphold or undercut complaints of excessive force.
As the study points out, however, results may vary greatly by department. Police officers in Washington, for example, handle unique public events based on the city’s role as the national capital. Researchers suggested that specialized training for this role makes D.C. officers less likely to overreact.
In addition, researchers said, responses can very within a department. Some camera-wearing officers may adjust their behavior. Others, given the split-second decisions of police work, may act no differently.
The case for cameras turns on the notion that video will lead to the truth. The case of four Boynton Beach officers illustrates the potential and possible limits of what sounds like a very good idea.
Federal prosecutors charged the officers in the 2014 beating of an unarmed man. The officers didn’t have cameras and there was no video from the squad car. But there was video from a sheriff ’s helicopter that participated in the chase that culminated in the beating.
Without the video, a federal jury last week might not have convicted the officer most involved in the beating. Yet the jury acquitted two officers of falsifying reports after the video emerged. A fourth officer, also accused of obstructing justice, faces a separate trial.
That beating prompted Boynton Beach to start its program. Other studies, however, have shown that departmental culture can matter more than cameras. Good training generally produces better officers.
Indeed, cameras won’t help if they don’t work or officers don’t turn them on. Last July, an officer in Minnesota fatally shot a woman who had reported suspicious activity. The officer’s camera was not on. There was no video from the car camera. No charges have been filed.
Another aspect of the debate concerns who should have cameras. Two years ago, Palm Beach Gardens officer Nouman Raja shot and killed Corey Jones. Raja, though, was working plainclothes. Most departments don’t equip plainclothes officers with cameras. Audio from a roadside assistance call is the key evidence against Raja.
Ultimately, body cameras may be more about perception. This year, a Florida Atlantic University survey found that state residents who felt good about cops placed more faith in the cameras than residents who were less trusting of law enforcement.
Even the Lab@DC researchers recommend more study. In an increasingly datadriven world, taxpayers ought to know if the body-camera hype matches the reality.
Email Randy Schultz: randy@bocamag.com