From: The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR
Washington, DC Government Applies Behavioral Science to Study Body-Worn Cameras
The Lab @ DC, a research team within the Washington, DC government, has just released the results of a two-year-long study investigating the effects of police body-worn cameras on policing in DC—the largest study of its kind. This government research team concluded that the introduction of these cameras did not have an effect on either police use of force or civilian complaints, and these findings raise new avenues for further research.
The results of this body-worn camera research project are already making waves in some of the US’s premier news outlets. Read more about the project at the following links:
- “Body cameras have little effect on police behavior, study says”—The New York Times
- “Police officers with body cameras are as likely to use force as those who don’t have them”—The Washington Post
- “Body cam study shows no effect on police use of force or citizen complaints”—NPR
APS is a supporter of The Lab @ DC, which is led by psychological scientist David Yokum, formerly of the White House Social and Behavioral Sciences Team and the US GSA Office of Evaluation Sciences. The Lab @ DC is an applied research team which applies principles of behavioral science and other evidence-based approaches to improve DC policies.
Learn more about The Lab @ DC’s body-worn camera research project by clicking here.
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Comments
Maybe it doesn’t change their behaviour but at least there’s a record of the use of force in case it is excessive. It certainly ups the accountability.
Your quote of the week says that body cameras move behavior toward what is socially acceptable, and this article says that it has no effect on policing. Which is correct?
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