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PurposeThroughout the last decade, a number of empirical studies have assessed the effectiveness of body-worn cameras (BWCs) among law enforcement agencies across the United States. The purpose of this paper is to examine officers' perceptions regarding the impact this technology has had on police-community relations, as well as the working relationship between police and other actors in the criminal justice system (e.g. prosecutors, jurors).Design/methodology/approachThe author conducted focus groups with officers (n = 89) from two local law enforcement agencies in California that had adopted BWCs in recent years. Participating officers discussed advantages and disadvantages they associated with BWCs, as well as how BWCs have impacted their relationship with the public and justice system personnel.FindingsOfficers recognized advantages to using BWCs, including the potential for positive changes in police behavior and the ability to protect officers against false citizen complaints. Officers also identified a number of disadvantages (or consequences) they associate with BWCs, such as the depreciation of credibility behind an officer's word and the impact of video footage on prosecutorial decision-making.Originality/valuePrior studies have gathered officers' perceptions regarding BWCs, but very few have assessed whether and how the use of this technology by law enforcement influences other actors within the criminal justice system. The findings from this study may prompt further empirical consideration regarding BWCs, especially with regard to whether police use of this technology significantly impacts citizens' trust in the police and how their use may impact prosecutorial and juror decision-making.

Offenders do not always operate within jurisdictional boundaries and, as such, neighboring law enforcement agencies can benefit from sharing crime data and other investigation-related information with one another, with the shared goal of reducing crime throughout their region. In 2016, one such partnership was formed with seven law enforcement agencies, the District Attorney’s Office, and public health officials in King County, Washington. As part of a larger evaluation of this regional collaboration, the authors assessed the data and intelligence-sharing behaviors of key personnel from each participating agency over an 18-month period. This was done through a series of interviews with key personnel and the use of social network analysis. Results suggest that, although data-sharing networks increased in size and project personnel were able to identify benefits to sharing crime data with one another (e.g., seeing the “bigger picture” regarding crime in their region, using shared crime data to track and combat violent crime), they also identified a number of obstacles associated with cross-jurisdictional data sharing. Findings from this evaluation contribute to the collective understanding and implementation of a regional approach to crime control. If criminal justice agencies plan to work together to reduce crime, data and information sharing are essential. Therefore, it is imperative that agencies are aware of the positive outcomes associated with regional data sharing and the challenges that can arise throughout this collaborative effort.

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How police officers exercise their unique power to use deadly force continues to be a topic of interest among academics and has recently become arguably the most visible public policy issue related to the criminal justice system in the United States. Academic interest in officers’ use of deadly force includes attention to how officers make the decision to discharge their firearms during encounters with citizens. Binder and Scharf posited that actions and decisions made by officers early in a high-risk police-citizen encounter can impact their decision to use deadly force at the conclusion of the encounter. This decision-making model, however, has been subject to very little empirical scrutiny in the decades since it was proposed (see Fridell & Binder; Scharf & Binder for notable exceptions). To bring their comprehensive framework back to the forefront and provide additional empirical assessment, the authors used the Binder and Scharf model as a framework to examine 82 officers’ decisions to shoot or hold fire in incidents that involved multiple officers who ultimately made different decisions regarding lethal force. Results from the qualitative analysis suggest that the presence and actions of other officers on scene can have a notable impact on officers’ decision-making during a high-risk police-citizen encounter. Furthermore, findings from this study extend the Binder-Scharf model by highlighting the role of conscious and unconscious decision-making and the impact of social roles on officers’ choices during an officer-involved shooting.