Background Information
As a part of President Obama’s initiative to restore trust and integrity between law enforcement agencies and the citizens of their respective communities, the body-worn camera program was initiated to assist purchasing 50,000 body cameras for state and local law enforcement agencies interested in participating (United States Department of Justice, 2015). Body-worn cameras (bodycams) are small cameras attached to the clothing of police officers that record physical exchanges between citizens and law enforcement agents (Bureau of Justice Assistance, 2015).
This partnership was initiated following the shooting death of an unarmed African American teenager Michael Brown by the Ferguson, Missouri police officer Darren Wilson in 2014. The grand jury decided ultimately not to indict officer Wilson due to conflicting witness testimonies of the incident. Community activists and the family of the slain teenager expressed sadness and began a campaign to require body cameras on police officers nationwide believing if officer Wilson had been wearing a body camera, the fatal shooting would have not occurred (Davey & Bosman, 2014).
Amidst the continuous killing of unarmed African Americans and the widespread demand for police reform, the consistent push from community leaders and lawmakers to develop policies that require body-worn cameras on police officers nationwide is stronger than ever. Recently the House democrats passed the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act of 2020, a police reform bill purposed for the reduction of police misconduct and requiring all federal uniformed officers to use body-worn cameras.
Research Question
Do body-worn cameras reduce the use of force by law enforcement?
