Watch and Learn: Best Practices for Using Body-Worn Cameras for Law Enforcement Training

• In Event: Mixed-Method Approaches to Evaluating Policing Partnerships, Policies, and Training

Abstract

The Burlington (North Carolina) Police Department (BPD) and PERF are partnering to assess the implementation and outcomes of BPD’s efforts to incorporate BWCs into training on various topics. BPD first used BWC footage to facilitate officer training in 2016, and in 2019, BPD made BWC footage a fundamental component of all aspects of its formal and informal training program, culture, and philosophy. This change not only led to a reduction in the use of force, but it has also fostered a non-judgmental learning environment that has fundamentally improved the agency’s training initiatives. To produce a best practices model based on BPD’s BWC training program, PERF examined BPD’s existing program via document reviews, interviews with BPD staff, observations of training sessions, reviews of BWC footage, and administrative data analysis. Using the project findings, PERF created a best practices toolkit containing several resources designed to help other agencies implement similar training approaches. The presentation will cover findings from the assessment of BPD’s strategies and recommendations included in the toolkit.

Authors

• Dustin Richardson, Police Executive Research Forum

• Jeremy Barnum, Police Executive Research Forum