Worth the Trouble? Exploring the Usage, Utility, and Costs of Body-worn Camera Footage for State Prosecutors

• In Event: New Developments in Prosecutor's Offices and Courtrooms

Abstract

Despite substantial recent developments in body-worn camera (BWC) research, little is known about the impact of BWC footage on downstream criminal justice actors and agencies. This study seeks to address this gap by exploring prosecutors’ experiences with BWC footage and the degree to which BWC footage is formally used and considered useful across case processing stages.

Analyzing survey responses from state prosecutors in Miami-Dade County (FL), we identify and describe persistent challenges that prosecutors face when using BWC footage. Ordinal regression models are then used to examine how these issues impact the usage and utility of BWC footage across various case-processing stages. Finally, we use structural equation modeling to examine the larger relationship between the operational realities of BWC footage, its perceived utility, and its formal usage in court.

Results indicate that prosecutors face challenges related to footage quality, availability, and difficulty/delay in the transfer process. Poor quality and delayed video transfer were associated with lower utility ratings, while lower utility ratings were associated with infrequent formal usage of BWC footage in court. Our results also identify tangible aspects of BWC programs and policy in need of improvement if prosecutors are to use BWC footage consistently and effectively during case-processing

Authors

• Kevin Petersen, George Mason University

• Donald Papy, Miami Beach, Florida

• Barak Ariel, University of Cambridge