Body-Worn Cameras and Settlements

Abstract

Body-worn cameras (BWCs) have been widely adopted in the United States due to their perceived promise of reducing police misconduct through a deterrent or Hawthorne effect. Much of the available evidence indicates that BWCs reduce civilian complaints, use-of-force, and other police misbehavior. However, there is a tendency for existing research to study minor forms of misbehavior rather than serious misconduct. This study focuses on examining how settlements, a proxy of serious police misconduct, changed with BWC adoption and are an important outcome to study as they may correspond with financial and litigation burdens for police departments. This study uses panel data from 19 police departments over 10 years to assess how settlements changed post-BWC adoption. The results indicate BWC adoption is associated with a 40% reduction in police settlements and a 40% decrease in the median cost per settlement, and suggest BWCs may lead to less severe police misconduct over time.