Attorney General Peter F. Kilmartin recently led a panel discussion on the issue of body-worn police cameras as part of the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) conference June 16 - 18 in San Diego, CA. The panel discussed the benefits and costs of implementation of body-worn camera programs by law enforcement agencies, as well as privacy concerns, data storage and retention costs, and steps that should be taken to ensure program sustainability.
"In recent years, there has been a significant growth in the interest in, and use of, police body-worn cameras. Hailed as a major policing innovation and part of the solution to improve trust of police within certain communities, there has been little study to date of the long term financial costs of the program, how the video is best used in the prosecution of criminal cases, and privacy concerns of officers and citizens alike," said Attorney General Kilmartin. "If police departments are going to employ this technology, it is critical we understand and weigh the benefits and pitfalls before implementation. Learning from the experience of departments that have employed body-worn cameras can provide us great insight into how local police departments should move to develop and implement policies should they choose to employ this new technology."
Panelists included Michael D. White, PhD, professor, School of Criminology and Criminal Justice and Associate Director, Center for violence Protection and Community Safety at Arizona State University; Captain Vern Sallee of the Chula Vista, CA Police Department; and Joanna Weiss, Director of Criminal Justice for the Laura and John Arnold Foundation.
Kilmartin serves as chair of NAAG the Law Enforcement and Prosecutorial Relations Working Group, which works to foster an understanding of the different approaches taken by federal, state, and local law enforcement and to provide a forum for an open and candid exchange of ideas and concerns.
Dr. White is currently conducting a multi-site randomized controlled trial testing impact of body-worn cameras in Tempe, AZ and Spokane, WA. He is also the author of a US Department of Justice report titled "Police officer body-worn cameras: Assessing the evidence." The full report can be found at: https://www.ojpdiagnosticcenter.org/sites/default/files/spotlight/download/Police%20Officer%20Body-Worn%20Cameras.pdf.
Captain Sallee is a 19-year veteran of the Chula Vista Police Department, and is currently assigned to the Administrative Services Division, responsible for, among other duties, evidence control and police technology. In January 2015, the Chula Vista Police Department deployed 120 body-worn cameras to all uniformed patrol officers. Captain Sallee and his officers have worked closely with the San Diego District Attorney's Office to develop policies and best practices on sharing digital video evidence for prosecution of cases.
The Laura and John Arnold Foundation is currently funding a cost benefit analysis of body-worn cameras in Anaheim, CA, Long Beach, CA, Pittsburg, PA, and Arlington, TX.