SPECIAL REPORT Implementing a Body-Worn Camera Program
an agency in your area that has a provision to allow other agencies to piggyback on their contract. Again, it could save you a lot of time and will get you to a bottom-line cost determination much more quickly.
Equipment Selection
There are a few basic specifications that are important to ef- fective operation. First, the battery life should be sufficient to cover the length of an officer’s shift. It would be rare for an officer to be recording the entire shift so most of the current models should be able to meet your needs. None- theless, make sure you check the battery life as well as how long it takes to fully recharge the battery. Second, the resolution. The higher the resolution, the
greater the detail provided. However, this comes at the cost of requiring a greater amount of storage when the video is offloaded and a demand for increased bandwidth if the video is sent to the cloud. You need to determine the ‘sweet’ spot that provides sufficient information but doesn’t result in excessive storage demand and expense. Third, the pre-event record. This feature has become pretty common, but it still bears mentioning because it provides a significant advantage. Pre-event record means that a specified period of time (usually 30 or 60 seconds) is recorded before the camera is turned on. This can be a key factor in many officer encounters. Fourth, the low-light capability. Offi cers are often operat- ing in lighting conditions that are far from ideal so make sure you take a look at how the camera you’re considering handles low-light conditions. In other words, don’t be satisfi ed with a demo during the middle of the day. Fifth, the audio clarity. Don’t overlook the importance of the audio portion of BWC. Sometimes it’s just as important to understand what is being said as it is to be able to see what is taking place. Sixth, the operating environment. Make sure the equipment
you are considering is going to function in your operational environment. If your agency works in and around the water or operates in extreme heat or cold, make sure the operating specifi cations refl ect your need. Seventh, ease of use and reli- ability are essential to quick adoption by your personnel. This is an area to zero in on when you’re doing your due diligence on equipment and when you’re checking with other agencies. Finally, the ease of marking or tagging a video segment by the operator. For many agencies, there is a significant difference in how a video of a non-custodial encounter and a felony arrest involving use of force is handled and how long the video is maintained. Many cameras provide an on- camera feature that allows the officer to mark the video segment so it can be easily located and treated differently.
Key Policy Decisions
Before you roll out equipment to the field, take time to consider some of the key policy decisions regarding BWC operation. There are some important areas where opinions differ significantly and compelling arguments can be made for different approaches to the same issue. Should officers be permitted to review their video before writing a report? More importantly, should officers be permitted to review
38 LAW and ORDER I March 2016
their video before giving a statement in a critical incident such as an officer-involved shooting? Should offi cers have discretion as to what is recorded or
should all encounters with a citizen or suspect, regardless of reason, require a video record? How should an offi cer han- dle a situation where a citizen (not an arrestee) states he/she does not want to be recorded? What about recording inside a person’s home when not operating with a warrant? How will requests from the media/public for access to the video be han- dled? Some of these areas are strictly a matter of department policy and some will be affected by specifi c laws in your state. Your policy needs to be both workable and legal.
Pilot Program
When you are ready to start rolling out your program, start with a pilot approach by identifying personnel who are willing to work through the challenges with you. Let them know their input is important and will form the foundation of your agency’s program. This means you need to listen to them and support them if you are going to be successful. Properly done, a pilot will help you handle problems on a small scale and develop a core group of users who can serve as both trainers and champions for your BWC program.
Continual Reassessment As you move into full implementation, continually reassess your program and ask your most experienced users to immedi- ately let you know of any problems. Watch for issues like an of- fi cer who frequently claims a malfunction or any equipment that appears to be intentionally damaged. During the early days of in-car video, many departments experienced outright destruc- tion of equipment by offi cers who were resistant to the idea of having their stops recorded. Much of this resistance went away after offi cers realized the video more often vindicated their ac- tions than caused them a problem.
Be prepared for some challenges and understand it will take time for officers to integrate BWC operation to their routine. Be open to making necessary course corrections. For instance, some departments that originally required the recording of virtually every activity found they were over- whelmed by the amount of video being recorded and an in- ability to manage it. They later amended their approach to allow for discretionary recording on the part of the officer. Implementing a BWC program is a tremendous undertak-
ing. It should be handled by a competent manager and support staff who are willing to do their homework and work through the challenges because they will occur. Do your due diligence, learn from the experiences of others, and listen to your stake- holder groups. Doing so will increase the chance of success.
Dale Stockton is a 32-year-veteran of law enforcement, retiring as a police captain from Carlsbad, Calif. He is a principal in the fi rm of Public Safety Insight, a consulting think tank for public safety. He is the executive director of the Below 100 program (
www.Below100.org) and may be reached at
dalestockton@gmail.com.
LaO Post your comments on this story by visiting
www.lawandordermag.com
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