Phoenix, Arizona
Measuring Impacts of Police Body-Worn Cameras
Project Overview
In 2010, the Phoenix Police Department’s (PPD) Professional Standards Bureau received more than 150 complaints or allegations of officer misconduct. Police-community relations further declined amid several high-profile events, including an allegation of excessive use of force upon a city councilman, several allegations of police misconduct, and the indictment of an officer for second-degree murder in the fatal shooting of an unarmed domestic violence suspect. PPD sought to deploy on-person video cameras to record events and interactions taking place between suspects, victims, and officers. The result was a 22.5 percent decrease in the number of recorded complaints.
Methods and Findings
Research Design
Process and outcome evaluation, pre- and post- deployment
Findings
From pre- to post-deployment, officers with BWCs experienced a 22.5 percent decline in officially recorded complaints, while across all other precincts there was a 45.1 percent increase in complaints.
