Association News

In the aftermath of controversial officer-involved shootings and with the 21st Century Policing Initiative as further impetus, the use of body-worn cameras (BWC) has expanded rapidly. As with other technologies, however, their dissemination is outpacing research on best practices for their use, as well as unintended consequences.

To help identify BWC research gaps, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of Science and Technology and the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab (APL) recently conducted a summit at the APL campus in Maryland. University researchers, law enforcement executives and trainers, and BWC subject matter experts participated. The Major Cities Chiefs Association and IACLEA were the two national law enforcement organizations asked to participate. Director of Government and External Relations Jeff Allison represented IACLEA.

The summit focused on:

• Considerations for acquisition
• Physical placement
• Storage and use of footage
• Training

A consistent theme emerging from the summit is that officials are making many decisions associated with the acquisition and deployment of BWC without sufficient evidence or established best practices. A report detailing the identified research gaps and recommended next steps will be issued in the near future. IACLEA will share that with members upon its publication.