Body Worn Cameras

Many law enforcement agencies in America have instituted the use of body worn cameras (BWC’s) and their potential use in community supervision has gained interest in the past few years. While several community- based supervision agencies have implemented the use of body worn cameras, we are still learning about the benefits and challenges of this new technology. The intent of this section of the micro site is to share information from the field about BWC and experiences that will include how this technology has enhanced community supervision as well as lessons learned.

Body worn cameras (BWC’s) are relatively small devices that record interactions between the officer and a subject. The recordings from BWC’s may be used in a variety of ways - as staff training aids, to discourage unprofessional behavior by the officer, and to clarify the interactions between the officer and a subject.

There are a number of things to consider prior to investing in the implementation BWC’s, such as, proper training on the purpose and use of equipment, whether your officers are sworn or not, what your state law says about recordings and their use, the type and cost of equipment, data storage and management, and retention schedules.