Prof Eisner hosts Body-worn Cameras in Policing webinar

3 December 2020

On Tuesday 1 December at 4pm, the VRC hosted an Institute of Criminology’s webinar entitled Body-worn Cameras in Policing: the Evidence on what Works with partner organisations the Campbell Collaboration and Arnold Ventures.

Prof Eisner joined Dr Peter Neyroud, Institute of Criminology, University of Cambridge and co-chair of the Campbell Collaboration Crime and Justice Coordinating Group as convenor. Speakers included Prof Cynthia Lum, George Mason University, Chief Constable Andy Marsh, Avon & Somerset Police, Dr Alex Sutherland, Behavioural Insights Team and Ms Asheley Van Ness, Arnold Ventures.

The webinar presented findings of a Campbell Collaboration systematic review entitled Body‐worn cameras’ effects on police officers and citizen behavior by the research team at the Center for Evidence-Based Crime Policy at George Mason University. Authored by Cynthia Lum, Christopher S. Koper, David B. Wilson, Megan Stoltz, Michael Goodier, Elizabeth Eggins, Angela Higginson and Lorraine Mazerolle, the review reveals that body cameras worn by police do not have a clear or consistent impact on officers’ use of force, arrests and other activities. BWCs can reduce the number of citizen complaints against police officers, but it is unclear whether this finding signals an improvement in the quality of police-citizen interactions or a change in reporting.

“For the police agencies that have already purchased body-worn cameras, researchers should continue testing for ways in which both police and citizens might gain benefits from the cameras’ continued use,” said lead author Prof Cynthia Lum of George Mason University.

“These could include limiting the discretion that officers have with body-worn camera use; using body-worn cameras for coaching, training, or evidentiary purposes; and finding ways that body-worn cameras can be used to strengthen police-citizen relationships, internal investigations, or accountability systems.”

You can also access the webinar’s video recording here https://www.crim.cam.ac.uk/events/watchandlistennew/2020-watch-and-listen

Further reading