Toward victim‐sensitive body‐worn camera policy: Initial insights

Abstract

Research SummaryDespite constituting a substantial portion of police contacts, victims in general, and violence against women (VAW) survivors in particular, have received little attention in body‐worn camera (BWC) research. As BWCs proliferate in policing, crafting victim‐sensitive BWC policies is important. Drawing from qualitative interviews with 33 survivors of sexual assault and/or intimate partner violence, we identify themes that characterize victim‐sensitive BWC policies: notification, consent, alternative recording options, procedural consistency, and data storage and access. These findings lay a foundation for further research that can assess the generalizability of these themes to other samples of survivors.Policy ImplicationsVAW survivors are stakeholders who should be consulted in the production of victim‐sensitive BWC policy for police services. This exploratory study suggests that BWC use will be more victim‐sensitive when (1) officers notify victims of BWC use as soon as reasonably possible during an interaction, (2) officers ask victims if they consent to BWC recording, (3) officers deactivate the video recording function of the BWC (or reposition the BWC's lens away from the victim) if consent is not provided or if doing so would make the victim more comfortable, (4) police services ensure that BWCs are used consistently by frontline members, that BWC videos are regularly subject to supervisory review, and that videos are appropriately used in training to prepare for quality survivor‐police interactions, and (5) officers and services provide victims with clear information regarding BWC footage access and data security.

Police body-worn cameras and privacy: Views and concerns of officers and citizens

“…Indeed, although privacy rights groups have been voicing concerns about BWCs (White and Malm, 2020), it seems that most citizens are accepting of being recorded. Our sample, however, was drawn from the general population, which limits our ability to examine certain underrepresented groups, like crime victims, who are at a higher risk of having sensitive information recorded (Saulnier et al, 2022). Nonetheless, we did identify some factors that contribute to heightened levels of apprehension among the public, such as age and perceptions of the police.…”

“…Officers generally support the implementation of BWCs (Jennings et al, 2014), but some resistance (Young and Ready, 2015) and higher levels of burnout among officers (Adams and Mastracci, 2019) have been reported. The use of BWCs by police officers also impacts citizens who may feel uncomfortable being recorded during personal or sensitive situations (Saulnier et al, 2022).…”

“…Various segments of the population have been surveyed in empirical research to determine their concerns toward BWCs and privacy. Studies of crime victims’ perceptions of BWCs revealed concerns regarding the recording of their interactions with officers and the management of video footage (Saulnier et al, 2022). As Saulnier and colleagues (2022: 305) note, “Victims’ perceptions of and experiences with BWCs should not be assumed to mirror those of the general public”.…”

How Do Investigation Experiences Shape Views of the Police? Qualitatively Exploring Sexual Assault Survivors’ Interactions With Police Detectives and Subsequent Views of the Police

“…Efforts to improve the police response such as trauma-informed training practices have gained recent attention, though unfortunately training for officers particularly in sexual assault investigations has proven difficult and often ineffective (Elliott et al, 2012;Lonsway et al, 2001;Lorenz & Maskaly, 2016;Rich, 2018;Stanko & Hohl, 2018). Where training may be ineffective, other efforts such as the Start by Believing campaign and character-based hiring strategies (versus skills-based hiring) have been implemented to initiate cultural changes within policing, as well as emphasis on policing-advocacy partnerships such as Sexual Assault Response Teams (SARTs) to bridge the gap between the pragmaticism of policing and the need for emotional support, and the use of body-worn cameras to increase police accountability (see EVAWI, n.d.;Greeson & Campbell, 2013;Saulnier et al, 2022). However, these efforts pose challenges as well and there is limited evidence suggesting their effectiveness and improving police-survivor interactions while achieving legal justice.…”

Factors Influencing the Pursuit of Legal Rights by Burn Victims of Domestic Violence

“…In rural areas where domestic violence burns are more commonly reported in the media the factor of fear of retaliation takes away the victims perception even to think about registering the case against the powerful perpetrator. If the victim fears retaliation from the perpetrator or their associates, they were always found reluctant to register a criminal case 14 .…”