West Midlands Police Body Worn Video Camera Experiment Rialto PD California TInsp 3908 Darren Henstock The publics perception of police use of force continues to be a problem Too many incidents in which officers resort to use of force ID: 141636
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Slide1
Serving our communities, protecting them from harm
West Midlands Police
Body Worn Video Camera Experiment
Rialto P.D. CaliforniaT/Insp 3908 Darren HenstockSlide2
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?
The problemSlide3
The Challenges
Reducing use of force and complaints without changing the frequency and nature of contact with the publicRequires third-party systematic observation that would scientifically measure both the implementation and the outcome of the practiceCost effectivenessLeadership – can we implement this researchSlide4
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 accountabilityReduce complaints of police misconductSave thousands of dollars in court costsLower overtime costs for investigations and court appearancesImprove ability to collect evidence for trialIncrease professionalism by forcing officers to give more attention to following agency rules.(International Association of Police Chiefs, 2004)Slide5
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.Slide6
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?Slide7
Research Design
Random assignment of all front-line officers to shifts with or without camerasTaser Inc. HD cameras recording all police-public interactions for 12 months.Went live 13th February 2012 after two weeks of Phase 1.Slide8
Results - complaintsSlide9
Results – Use of forceSlide10
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 videoReduction 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-legitimacySlide11
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