Investigating the prevalence and utility of police body-worn cameras in the George Floyd protests

Janne E. Gaub, Michael White, Aili Malm, Seth Watts, Katharine Leigh Brown

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Purpose: Unlike protests against police brutality in the past (2014 and earlier), police officers responding to First Amendment-protected demonstrations in summer 2020 likely were wearing body-worn cameras(BWCs). This study seeks to understand police perceptions of the effects of BWCs when used in the George Floyd protests. Design/methodology/approach: The authors use survey data from 100 agencies with federally-funded BWCs to assess the prevalence of BWC deployment to George Floyd protests and perceived benefits and limitations of the technology within this unique context. Findings: About three-quarters of agencies encountered some level of demonstration/protest related to the killing of George Floyd, and the majority of those deployed BWCs during these demonstrations. Respondents indicated evidentiary value of footage was a key reason for doing so, and at least three preconditions for a civilizing effect were present. Originality/value: Research has documented numerous benefits associated with BWCs, from reductions in use of force and citizen complaints to evidentiary value. However, the extent to which BWC benefits extend to public protests is unclear. The George Floyd protests represent an opportunity to understand the prevalence and usefulness of BWCs in policing public protests.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)633-647
Number of pages15
JournalPolicing
Volume45
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 22 2022

Keywords

  • Black lives matter
  • Body-Worn Cameras (BWCs)
  • Civilizing effect
  • Police
  • Protests

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Pathology and Forensic Medicine
  • Public Administration
  • Law

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Investigating the prevalence and utility of police body-worn cameras in the George Floyd protests'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this