Can Technology Work for Policing? Citizen Perceptions of Police-Body Worn Cameras

• DOI: 10.1177/0275074020945632
• Author: James E. Wright,Andrea M. Headley
• Date: 01 January 2021
• Published date: 01 January 2021
• Subject Matter: Articles

https://doi.org/10.1177/0275074020945632

American Review of Public Administration

2021, Vol. 51(1) 17 –27

© The Author(s) 2020

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DOI: 10.1177/0275074020945632

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Article

Introduction

Technology rapidly pervades government agencies to

enhance efficiency and improve public service delivery.

However, organizations face internal and external challenges

with the advancement and implementation of any new tech-

nology. One of the more recent technological adoptions that

has occurred in local governments includes the use of body-

worn cameras (BWC) by police departments. The adoption

of these cameras came as a result of consistent media por-

trayals of tense confrontations between police officers and

citizens, which led people to question the actions taken by

police officers. Several prominent events over the past few

years shaped the narrative concerning police officer actions:

the deaths of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri in 2014;

Freddie Gray in Baltimore, Maryland in 2015; Sandra Bland

in Waller County, Texas in 2015; Keith Lamont Scott in

Charlotte, North Carolina in 2016; and the most recent death

of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 2020—all of

which resulted from police–civilian encounters.

The interactions and relationships between police officers

and communities continues to become increasingly strained

and fragmented. Policy makers and police departments call

for the implementation of BWC for officers to create a

response amicable for all parties involved. By 2017, it was

estimated that nearly every large police department planned

to adopt BWC technology (Maskaly et al., 2017). In addi-

tion, a high number of police agencies adopted BWC as a

direct result of former President Barack Obama’s US$75

million program, which added 50,000 BWC on the streets

(Hedberg et al., 2017).

Many believe that BWC can be a solution that leverages

technology and the digital age to improve relationships

between communities of color and the police. Furthermore,

the proposed benefits of BWC include increased account-

ability and transparency of citizens and police officers. As

Police Chief Guy Green of Bowie, Texas, stated during an

introductory conference on BWC technology,

The body camera provides another layer for police giving us

face-to-face video. It makes the officer accountable and the

public can see it. We want to have the best relationship possible

with the public and this can provide more transparency. (Hutto

& Green, 2016)

945632ARPXXX10.1177/0275074020945632The American Review of Public AdministrationWright II and Headley

research-article2020

1Florida State University, Tallahassee, USA

2Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA

Corresponding Author:

James E. Wright II, College of Social Science and Public Policy, Florida

State University, 652 Bellamy Building, Tallahassee, FL 32306-1490, USA.

Email: jwright4@fsu.edu

Can Technology Work for Policing?

Citizen Perceptions of Police-Body

Worn Cameras

James E. Wright II1 and Andrea M. Headley2

Abstract

Recent incidents between police and people of color have further strained police–community relationships. Scholars,

practitioners, activists, policy makers, and several police departments have advocated for the implementation of body-worn

cameras (BWC), a technological adoption promoted to address growing mistrust in the United States. This article examines

perception of this technological adoption through 40 in-depth interviews in Washington, D.C. Furthermore, this article

uses the context of police BWC to explore how the integration of technological advancements impacts the relationships

between communities and local governments—namely police departments. The evidence suggests that residents believe

BWC should improve officer behavior and increase police legitimacy, but cameras will not increase trust between police

and the community. Based on the findings, this research identifies the limitations of BWC technology and assesses potential

collaborative strategies available for police organizations related to the adoption and use of BWC.

Keywords

policing, body-worn cameras, technology and government, citizen expectations