Several recent high profile incidents involving law enforcement officers have resulted in the death of a citizen. In some of these cases, the use of deadly force by police was ruled as justified only to learn later that one or more officers were not truthful about what occurred. These incidents have called into question law enforcement's legitimacy and created a demand for greater transparency by equipping officers with body-worn cameras. Body cameras can act as independent, reliable witnesses with no bias or agenda. Federal, state, and local governments have pledged millions of taxpayer dollars to implement body-worn camera programs in police departments across the world, but research has revealed mixed results on the effectiveness of body-worn cameras. Effectiveness can be defined as a reduction in use of force incidents, citizen complaints, and offender and officer injuries during apprehension situations. Data were obtained from a large police department in the Southeastern United States that began using body-worn cameras in January 2015. A purposeful sample of 3 years of data before body cameras were introduced and 3 years of data after body cameras were introduced was analyzed using an interrupted time-series design. There was a statistically significant increase in use of force incidents and offender injuries during apprehension situations. There was no statistically significant change in citizen complaints or officer injuries. This research can assist police executives and program evaluators with providing expectations and setting goals for body camera programs.

Kroppsburna kameror som arbetsmetod inom Polisen har under senare år spridits runtom i världen med dess olika syfte för implementering. I Sverige infördes kroppskameror till den svenska Polismyndigheten under våren år 2018 i form av ett pilotprojekt för att bland annat minska polisens utsatthet för hot och våld samt styrka bevisning. Det finns idag begränsad forskning av metoden både internationellt och nationellt, där den befintliga forskningen främst fokuserat på kroppskamerans effekter på exempelvis medborgares beteende och brottslighet. Få studier har dock gjorts om polisens upplevelse och erfarenhet av metoden. Studien baseras på sex kvalitativa intervjuer med en kompletterande webbenkät i syfte att undersöka hur poliser i Malmö upplever kroppskameror som metod i det dagliga arbetet. Resultatet påvisar en övergripande positiv upplevelse bland poliserna där polisverktyget ses som ett hjälpmedel i arbetet, framförallt avseende dess bevisvärde. Vidare upplevs verktyget ha en dämpande effekt på stökiga situationer samt anses det inspelade materialet ha goda förutsättningar för att användas i utvärderings- och utbildningssyfte. Resultatet visar därutöver att det föreligger brister med metoden då kamerans fästmöjligheter är begränsade, vilket poliserna upplever som problematiskt. Det finns även farhågor gällande metoden om att en alltför stor tilltro kommer att läggas vid det kameran visar istället för vid polisens ord i en rättslig process samt att en tolkningsproblematik kan uppstå om en utomstående granskar materialet. Studien diskuterar resultaten i relation till teori och tidigare forskning. Vidare lyfts praktiska rekommendationer för Polisen, exempelvis att kamerans fästmöjligheter bör ses över samt att tydliga riktlinjer för utbildningen av metoden bör utarbetas. Slutligen belyser även studien vikten av ytterligare nationell forskning inom ämnet. / The use of body-worn cameras, BWCs, by police forces has in recent years spread around the world with various purposes for implementation. In Sweden, the BWCs were introduced to the Swedish police during the spring 2018 in terms of a pilot project to reduce the prevalence of force and threat against the police and to improve evidence collection. There is currently a limited research on the method, both internationally and nationally, where the existing research primarily focuses on the effects of the BWCs on citizens’ behaviour and crime. However, few studies have been conducted on police officers’ perceptions of BWCs. The study relies on data collected from six qualitative interviews with a web-based survey as a complement in order to examine how police officers in Malmö perceive BWCs in their daily policing duties. The results suggest that officers are generally positive and they hold the perceptions that the police tool can be beneficial, especially to improve the collecting of evidence. Furthermore, the device is perceived to calm down situations and the recorded material can be beneficial for evaluation and education purposes. The result further shows that there are shortcomings of the method as the camera's attachment capabilities are limited which is experienced as problematic. There are also concerns about the method that an excessive confidence will be added to the camera recording, instead of the words of the police in a legal process, and that an interpretation issue can occur if an external reviewer analyzes the material. The study discusses the findings in the light of theory and previous research. Furthermore, the study present practical recommendations for the police, for example, that the camera's attachment capabilities should be reviewed and clear guidelines for the training of the method should be developed. Finally, it also illustrates the importance of future national research on BWCs.

The purpose of this study explored if police officers wearing body-worn cameras contributed to an increased perception of safety among community members. Further emphasis centered on community support of body-worn cameras, officers who deployed the technology, and perceived trust of citizens geared at improving relations between police and the community. The current study set out to provide an evaluation of police body-worn cameras and their perceived safety impact on citizens (n=166). Perceptions of police officers (n=200) supporting the cameras were also examined in the sampling. A One-Same Binomial Test proved ninety-one percent of citizen respondents believed the cameras would enhance safety between officers and the public while objectively documenting police-citizen encounters. Public support for police deploying body-worn cameras exists. Officers who support the wearing of body-worn cameras in the performance of an assigned work shift favored 65% while the remaining 35% of respondents did not. Lastly, 58% of officers either “agree” or “strongly agree” that body-worn cameras are capable of improving documentation between their encounters with the public. Results of the researcher’s hypothesis concluded there is no difference supporting the use of body-worn cameras between citizens and police. Proven to fit into a larger progression of research, future studies are recommended to increase the generalizibility of the study and expand same to other regions of the country while considering an increased sample population.

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Depuis plusieurs années, les services de police ont connu des transformations importantes en matière de gouvernance. Ces changements font notamment référence à l’introduction des pratiques de gestion du secteur privé dans le secteur public. Cette introduction a fait en sorte d’inciter les institutions publiques, comme la police, à devenir plus créatives afin d’atteindre leurs différents objectifs établis par le gouvernement. Afin d’y parvenir, plusieurs de ces institutions publiques ont choisi d’adopter de plus en plus de technologie. Ainsi, l’étude des impacts technologiques sur le milieu policier a connu une croissance importante durant les dernières années. Néanmoins, nous n’en savons encore que très peu quant à la manière dont les policiers s’approprient ces technologies. Cette étude s’intéresse alors à mieux comprendre les impacts de l’introduction d’une nouvelle technologie au sein d’un service de police, notamment sur les dimensions sociales, culturelle et politique de l’appropriation de cette technologie par les policiers. Pour ce faire, nous utilisons 20 entretiens d’un projet-pilote sur la caméra corporelle d’un grand service de police municipale. Les résultats suggèrent la présence de plusieurs impacts et enjeux quant au port de la caméra corporelle notamment par la présence de résultats inattendus, que ce soit sur des enjeux ergonomiques, des enjeux liés au travail policier, des enjeux médiatiques ou des enjeux légaux et juridiques. Aussi, les résultats suggèrent également la présence de différents impacts sur la dynamique relationnelle des policiers soit avec les citoyens, leurs collègues et leur hiérarchie. Les résultats suggèrent également que la majorité des policiers interviewés sont d’accord sur le fait que la caméra corporelle apporte plus de désavantages que d’avantages au travail policier. Ainsi, devant ces contraintes perçues des policiers, cette recherche permet de démontrer que les policiers ne sont pas demeurés passifs devant l’introduction de la caméra corporelle et qu’ils se sont approprié la caméra corporelle. / For several years, police services have undergone significant changes in governance. These changes include the introduction of private sector management practices in the public sector. This introduction has encouraged public institutions, such as the police, to become more creative in order to achieve their different goals set by the government. In order to achieve this, many of these public institutions have chosen to adopt more technology. Thus, the study of technological impacts on the police environment has grown significantly in recent years. Nevertheless, we still know very little about how the police appropriate these technologies. This study is interested in understanding the impacts of the introduction of a new technology within a police service, particularly on the social, cultural and political dimensions through the appropriation of this technology by police officers. To do this, we use 20 interviews of a pilot project on the body camera of a large municipal police service. The results suggest the presence of several impacts and challenges regarding the wearing of the body camera, notably by the presence of unexpected results on ergonomic issues, issues related to police work, media issues and legal issues. The results also suggest the presence of different impacts on the relational dynamics of the police either with the citizens, their colleagues and their hierarchy. The results also suggest that the majority of police interviewees agree that the body camera brings more disadvantages than benefits to police work. Thus, in the face of these perceived constraints, this research makes it possible to demonstrate that the police did not remain passive when faced with the introduction of the body camera and that they appropriated the body camera.

The increased number of video recordings circulating in the media that depict police officers exercising excessive use of force has led to recommendations to equip police officers with body worn cameras. Because a camera’s point of view may influence viewers’ perceptions and understanding of the recorded events, the angle at which a police use of force encounter is recorded may have important consequences. My program of research aimed to understand how various camera angles can impact interpretations of a police use of force scenario. A simulated police use of force incident was video recorded at three different camera angles (body worn camera, security camera, bystander camera). Study 1 (n = 330) examined factors that contribute to interpretations of the scenario such as camera angle, pre-existing attitudes about police, and information processing style. Results showed that camera angle did not have a general impact on viewer’s judgment of the scenario. However, pre-existing biases about the police and legal system guided interpretations of the scenario, and individuals who viewed the bystander video angle of the scenario rated the police officer more favourably when they endorsed positive attitudes about the police. In addition, a high need for cognition increased the likelihood of making judgments in line with participants’ attitudes about police. Study 2 (n = 576) examined the legal implications of video evidence in a depiction of a trial in which a police officer has been accused of assaulting and causing bodily harm to a complainant. Participants exposed to trial information without video evidence found the police officer less credible and more responsible for the complainant’s injury, and were more likely to recommend a guilty verdict and harsher punishment for the police officer. Individuals who were presented with trial information that included the body worn camera video evidence viewed the police officer as less credible. Attitudes and beliefs about the police and the legal system influenced decisions made regarding the police officer’s credibility, responsibility, and legal recommendations. Overall, camera perspective had an impact on interpretations of police use of force videos, but only when considering pre-existing attitudes about police, and video evidence in a criminal trial regarding police use of force impacted judgements. I discuss various practical implications of relying on police use of force videos, and present directions for future research.

In the past several years, police-community relations have received enormous scrutiny based on several high-profile incidents involving the use of deadly force. Politicians, civil societies, and victims' families have called for law enforcement agencies to equip local officers with body-worn cameras to increase transparency and accountability. The purpose of the study was to investigate how law enforcement officers in a Sheriff's office in the Southern United States perceived ease of use and usefulness of body-worn camera technology and to identify if gender and years of service related to police officers' acceptance of body-worn cameras as a component of their regular uniform. The theoretical foundation for this study was based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) developed by Davis in 1989. Paper survey using TAM instrument was used to collect data from officers at the training center. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis was conducted to determine which independent variables predicted the frequency of use of body-worn cameras. Analysis of data collected from 88 officers found that their perceptions of the ease of use of body-worn cameras were moderately and positively correlated with their perceptions of the cameras' usefulness and their attitudes toward the camera. The relationship between usefulness and years of service was negative, indicating that as officers' length of service increased, their perceptions of body-worn cameras usefulness decreased. However, officers' attitudes toward using body-worn cameras were a predictor of their reported frequency of use. Findings from the study could contribute to positive social change by providing policymakers with new tools to craft training policies to enhance police-community relations.

Le présent mémoire s’intéresse aux caméras corporelles utilisées pour filmer des interventions policières, plus particulièrement, il explore la présence d’un possible biais de perspective entraînée par ce type de caméra. Le manque de connaissances empiriques entourant l’utilisation de ce nouvel outil de travail dans le monde policier renforce l’intérêt de cette étude. Ce mémoire vise à vérifier l’objectivité des vidéos produites par les caméras corporelles considérant que ces dernières seront utilisées pour prendre des décisions juridiques importantes. Pour ce faire, 216 participants ont visionné 3 versions de vidéos d’interventions policières comportant différents niveaux d’usage de la force et étant filmées soit à l’aide d’un cellulaire, d’une caméra de surveillance ou d’une caméra corporelle. Les participants devaient ensuite compléter un questionnaire qui permettait d’explorer leur perception quant à la légitimité de l’usage de la force utilisée par les policiers et quant aux conséquences positives ou négatives auxquelles devrait faire face le policier impliqué. Il sera donc question de comparer leur appréciation de l’intervention en fonction du type de caméra utilisé pour filmer. Les analyses descriptives ont permis d’établir que les groupes assignés aléatoirement aux différentes versions de vidéos d’interventions sont bien équivalents. Des analyses bivariées ont permis d’observer que le biais de perspective était présent pour l’intervention du parc seulement, soit une intervention requérant un usage de la force extrême, mais pas pour l’intervention de la route, soit une autre intervention présentant une force extrême, ni pour l’intervention présentant un cas de violence conjugale, qui elle présentait une force modérée. Les résultats suggèrent donc que le biais de perspective ne se manifeste pas dans le cas des interventions policières où la force utilisée est modérée, puisque les conséquences découlant de la stratégie physique utilisée sont moins graves. De plus, les résultats suggèrent que, lorsqu’une force extrême est utilisée durant une intervention policière, le biais de perspective ne se manifeste pas s’il semble qu’aucune alternative moins coercitive n’aurait été efficace afin de contrer la menace et de protéger les individus. / This thesis is interested in body cameras used to film police interventions, more specifically, it explores the presence of a possible perspective bias caused by this type of camera. The lack of empirical knowledge surrounding the use of this new tool in the police world reinforces the interest of this study. This study aims to verify the objectivity of videos produced by body cameras considering that they will be used to make important legal decisions. To do this, 216 participants viewed 3 versions of videos of police interventions with different levels of use of force and being filmed either using a cell phone, a surveillance camera or a body-worn camera. Participants were then asked to complete a survey that explored their perception of the legitimacy of the use of force used by police officers and the positive or negative consequences that the police officer involved should face, according to them. It will therefore be a question of comparing their assessment of the intervention according to the type of camera used to film. The descriptive analyzes made it possible to establish that the groups randomly assigned to the different versions of the intervention videos are indeed equivalent. Bivariate analyzes made it possible to observe that the perspective bias was present for the intervention of the park only, either an intervention requiring the use of extreme force, but not for the intervention of the road, another intervention presenting an extreme force, nor for the intervention presenting a case of domestic violence, which presented a moderate force. The results suggest therefore that the perspective bias does not manifest itself in the case of police interventions where the force used is moderate, since the consequences resulting from the physical strategy used are less serious. Moreover, the results suggest that when extreme force is used during a police intervention, the perspective bias does not manifest itself if it seems that no less coercive alternative would have been effective in order to counter the threatens and protect individuals.