The prevalence, nature, and drivers of change in body-worn camera policy

This study assesses the effects of body-worn cameras (BWCs) on rates of fatalities arising from police-citizen encounters. While existing experimental research has not examined this outcome because it is so rare, the staggered roll-out of BWCs across the nation’s law enforcement agencies provides an opportunity for quasi-experimental analysis. Difference-in-difference (DID) analyses using Poisson models compare changes in U.S. law enforcement agencies’ fatality counts with changes in BWC acquisition. Using a federal law enforcement survey focused on body worn cameras (LEMAS-BWCS) and media-sourced data on fatal encounters from fatalencounters.org (FE), the research examines agencies acquiring BWCs between 2013/14 and 2015/16 and those that did not acquire them up to 2016 and had no plans to do so. It includes a fixed effects annual panel data analysis with data from 2005/06 to 2018/19 and two two-group analyses focusing on a pre-treatment period (2010/11 to 2012/13) and a post-treatment period (2016/17 to 2018/19). The latter includes a propensity score matched comparison. Two out of three DID analyses showed statistically significant negative effects of BWCs on citizen fatalities. The propensity score matched two-group analysis returned a non-significant negative effect. The research finds some evidence for BWC effects on citizen fatalities. However, there are important validity threats to this conclusion. These include the possibility that BWC acquisition serves as a marker for other policy changes focused on BWC-acquiring agencies in the 2013/14 to 2015/16 period and beyond.

Body Worn Camera (BWC) is an Information Technology (IT) artefact that has begun to be used in law enforcement. In this paper, we develop a research model that focuses on law enforcement agents’ perspective about the ethical use of BWC, by extending rational choice theory (RCT) from the standpoint of cost/benefit of using BWC, contextual factors, as well as organisational justice. The paper tests the relationship between three factors: a) work motivation, b) cost of using BWC, and c) benefit of using BWC and police perceptions of ethical use of BWC. In addition, we test the moderating effects of work-related uncertainty on the above three relationships. The associations between organisational justice factors and work motivation are also discussed. Further, in collaboration with the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C), we develop three grey BWC scenarios that are not clearly ethical nor clearly unethical. We apply a survey methodology to test the model in the context of grey scenarios. The results show that work motivation and the risk of using BWC are negatively related with the law enforcement agents’ perceptions about ethical use of BWC and these relationships are negatively moderated by work-related uncertainty, while justice constructs are positively associated with perceived work motivation.

The article explores the drivers for legislative and policy change in children's social care in England over the past 60 years. It describes the factors that led to the major children's social care legislation and explores how these ‘drivers for change’ varied in their importance over time. Particular attention is given to the impact of research evidence as a driver for change among, for example tragedy and media scandal, political developments and changes in practice prompting legislative reform. The article also notes how research has at times provided a background for change while not explicitly promoting the change itself. The use of performance information and research in shaping and monitoring change is seen to have increased in the past 30 years, but with continuing tensions between a natural and necessary research timescale and the political wish for quick and clear answers to pressing issues.

Police Perceptions of Body-Worn Cameras

Real estate industry in general and its business models in particular are standing at the beginning of a transformation process, caused by fundamental and multidimensional change in technology, economy and society. The drivers of this change can be classified into three dimensions: social development, change of economic structure and digitalization. Although these transformation processes' effects are already visible, immediate consequences for market participants of the real estate industry remain largely uncertain. They are without a doubt going to affect the value system of the real estate industry, because the market environment and therefore business models of relevant participants are changing and will continue to do so. As a result, the demarcation line of the value system is going to become blurred, and a reform of the internal structure will take place. Many organizations struggle to grasp the full extent of this process, which can be seen by a predominant, exclusive focus on digitalization.The goal of this research is to determine and systemize the drivers of change affecting the real estate industry. Thereby, the author delineates variations of business models and points out which drivers of change have an impact on which business model.Based on a systematic literature review, a theoretical framework will be developed, in order to determine and systemize drivers of change in the real estate industry. This framework will be tested empirically by a quantitative survey of German real estate market participants. The appraisals are enquired using multivariate analyses and multidimensional scaling (MDS).An exhaustive systematization of all essential drivers of change cannot be found in the existing body of literature. Only if the effects of the drivers and the consequential impacts on business models in the real estate industry are anticipated correctly, management approaches dealing with future challenges and actively shaping the transformation processes can be developed properly. The research results will help to characterize the need for adjustment in real estate industry. Furthermore, it could reveal approaches for developing new and innovative business models.

Over the past several years there has been resistance from police officers towards implementing body-worn camera (BWC) technology. This paper assesses police perceptions towards BWCs in Pittsburgh and other cities to better characterize and explain such resistance, and also gain insight into the efficacy and potential benefits of BWCs from officers who have used the technology in their daily policing duties. Our surveys and interviews found that overall, Pittsburgh officers strongly believe BWCs can reduce citizen complaints and maintain police-community relations, but support for deploying BWCs throughout the city is low (31%). However, that support significantly increases among officers with hands-on BWC experience (57%). A comparison to previous police surveys found further evidence that BWC experience improves officer perception of the technology. In contrast, Pittsburgh officers who oppose city-wide adoption were concerned BWCs would erode trust between officers and their superiors, implying that police departments that can protect these internal police relationships might experience less resistance from police officers. These and other results suggest that changes in BWC technology, police policy and procedure, rollout, and police training could lead to better BWC programs.

Research SummaryIn this article, we provide the most comprehensive narrative review to date of the research evidence base for body‐worn cameras (BWCs). Seventy empirical studies of BWCs were examined covering the impact of cameras on officer behavior, officer perceptions, citizen behavior, citizen perceptions, police investigations, and police organizations. Although officers and citizens are generally supportive of BWC use, BWCs have not had statistically significant or consistent effects on most measures of officer and citizen behavior or citizens’ views of police. Expectations and concerns surrounding BWCs among police leaders and citizens have not yet been realized by and large in the ways anticipated by each. Additionally, despite the large growth in BWC research, there continues to be a lacuna of knowledge on the impact that BWCs have on police organizations and police–citizen relationships more generally.Policy ImplicationsRegardless of the evidence‐base, BWCs have already rapidly diffused into law enforcement, and many agencies will continue to adopt them. Policy implications from available evidence are not clear‐cut, but most likely BWCs will not be an easy panacea for improving police performance, accountability, and relationships with citizens. To maximize the positive impacts of BWCs, police and researchers will need to give more attention to the ways and contexts (organizational and community) in which BWCs are most beneficial or harmful. They will also need to address how BWCs can be used in police training, management, and internal investigations to achieve more fundamental organizational changes with the long‐term potential to improve police performance, accountability, and legitimacy in the community.

Essential elements at play in local environmental policy change: A guide for the perplexed

Although the use of video-recording technology in policing is on the rise in the United States, not all police agencies in the country are following this trend. Using Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics Body-Worn Camera Supplement survey data collected in 2016 from a nationally representative sample of general-purpose law enforcement agencies, the present analysis identified some of the factors more likely to predict interagency differences in the intention to adopt body-worn cameras (BWCs). Findings show that resistance to the adoption of BWCs is reported by law enforcement agencies that do not think the new technology is needed, report a lack of support for BWC adoption from the agency's leadership and from patrol officers, and have privacy and cost-related concerns. Although the perceived lack of public support for the adoption of BWCs does not differentiate agencies that intend to acquire BWCs from agencies that do not, police departments that registered a higher percentage of complaints for excessive use of physical force are significantly more likely to oppose the adoption of BWCs. Support for BWC adoption is significantly higher in police departments that have acquired other types of recording equipment in the past. Even though recent state-level legislative changes related to BWCs do not have a significant impact on BWC adoption decisions at the organization level, results indicate that law enforcement agencies located in US states with strong police unions are more likely to show resistance to the adoption of BWCs in the near future.

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.

This study assessed the early deployment of the Anaheim Police Department’s body-worn camera (BWC) program in 2015 by examining camera activations across officers, trends in activations over time, and how different police–community contacts predict BWC activations. These were assessed with correlational analyses among 40 BWC-equipped officers in the first 6 months of their use. Activation of the BWCs among officers varied widely, with 6-month average activations ranging from 0% to 72%. Average activation rates increased over time from 3% to 54%. Officers disproportionately activated their cameras for events related to crimes; for example, activation rates for other categories were significantly lower compared to violent crimes, with odds ratios ranging from 0.148 to 0.663. The article concludes with a discussion on how the failure to activate a BWC limits the potential benefits of the technology. While officers have considerable discretion on when to activate their BWCs, law enforcement agencies must not only train and deploy BWCs among their officers but also audit and supervise individual use to ensure successful BWC programs.

This paper examined the dynamics of land use changes on the livelihood of the local communities in Baringo County. Land is a principal factor of production, a source of life and livelihoods. It provides a means of living and a variety of uses such as agricultural, human settlement, environmental conservation, urban and industrial development purposes among others. These uses compete for space in a fixed area, hence the rising land use conflicts and degradation. The situation has threatened lives and livelihoods, making it difficult to plan for the livelihood activities in the County. This is happening against the backdrop of land use policy changes including; sessional paper no 3 of 2009 on the National Land Policy, the Constitution of Kenya 2010, the Land Act, 2012, the Land Registration Act, 2012, the Community Land Act, 2016 and sessional paper no 1 of 2017 on National Land Use Policy that were intended to alleviate the situation. This situation is now a major threat to the livelihood of the local communities in Baringo County. This study, therefore, sought to examined the dynamics of land use changes on the livelihood of the local communities in Baringo county with specific objective to establish the drivers of the changes. A comprehensive desk review of existing literature was done, and land use changes were descriptively analyzed. The review spanned from pre-colonial (before 1895), colonial (1895 to 1963), independence (1963 to 2010) including the subsequent years of land reforms following the promulgation of the Constitution of Kenya 2010 onwards to 2020. The study found that the key drivers of land use changes originate from the change of land use policies from customary to European-like systems during the colonial era (1895 to 1963). These drivers revolve around the conflicts in the application of land use policies and laws, dual production system (different land use for registered private land in arable areas and the unregistered community land in non-arable areas within the county) occasioning wide productivity gap and economic disparity. Further the knowledge gaps associated with colonial perceptions, ideologies, and attitudinal practices, which led to misconception and wrong policies aggravated the situation. The consequences disorganize the local community land use and social system, broke down the traditional grazing and cropping patterns, depleted soils fertility & degraded the environment. In addition, the study found out that in the unregistered community land, land use conflicts were rampant, and characterized by invaded and claim interest as well as unscrupulous legal manipulation of land ownership records leading to dispossession. These two salient features are the main drivers of land use changes that led to continuous and frequent fatal inter-ethnic land use conflicts among the local communities; causing displacement and destruction of property among other atrocities working against politically weak local community. This scenario destabilized livelihood possibilities making it difficult for local communities to engage in basic livelihood activities and create uncertainty for future development. The study concluded that the security of land tenure perpetrates land use conflicts particularly in the unregistered community land. The government, therefore, need to register the community land to enhance land tenure security in the county.

Preface, J.A. Lee, Introduction, 1. Drivers of change in upland environments: concepts, threats & opportunities, A. Bonn, T. Allott, K. Hubacek & J. Stewart, I Processes and Policy - the overarching Drivers of Change, 2. Natural changes in upland landscapes, M. Evans, 3. Threats from air pollution and climate change on upland systems: past, present & future, S. Caporn & B. Emmett, 4. Policy change in the uplands, I. Condliffe, II Ecosystem Goods & Services and Drivers of Change, 5. The carbon budget of upland peat soils, F. Worrall & M. Evans, 6. Upland hydrology, J. Holden, 7. State of upland freshwater ecosystems, T. Allott, 8. Condition of upland terrestrial habitats, A. Crowle & F. McCormack, 9. Burning issues: the history and ecology of managed fires in the uplands, A.R. Yallop, B. Clutterbuck & J .I. Thacker, 10, Moorland management with livestock: the effect of policy change on upland grazing, vegetation and farm economics, S.M. Gardner, T. Waterhouse & C.N.R. Critchley, 11. International importance and drivers of change of upland bird populations, J.W. Pearce-Higgins, M.C. Grant, C.M. Beale, G.M. Buchanan & I.M.W. Sim, 12. Mammals in the uplands, D.W. Yalden, 13. Managing uplands for game and sporting interest: an industry perspective, N. Sotherton, R. May, J. Ewald, K. Fletcher & D. Newborn, 14. Moors from the past, B. Bevan, 15. Leisure in the landscape: rural incomes and public benefits, N. Curry, III Social Change, Land Management and Conservation - Driving Change, 16. Description of the upland economy: areas of outstanding beauty and marginal economic performance, K. Hubacek, K. Dehnen-Schmutz, M. Qasim & M. Termansen, 17. The future of public goods provision in upland regions: learning from hefted commons in the Lake District, UK, R.J.F. Burton, G. Schwarz, K.M. Brown, I.T. Convery & L. Mansfield, 18. The economic value of landscapes in the uplands of England, N. Hanley & S. Colombo, 19. Landscape as an integrating framework for upland management, C. Swanwick, 20. Using scenarios to explore upland futures, K. Arblaster, M.S. Reed, E.D.G. Fraser & C. Potter, 21. Effective policy making: stakeholder involvement and sustainable development in national parks, S. Connelly & T. Richardson, 22. How class shapes perceptions of nature: implications for managing visitor perceptions in upland UK, N. Suckall, E. Fraser & C. Quinn, 23. Moorland wildfire risk, visitors and climate change: patterns, prevention and policy, J. McMorrow, S. Lindley, J. Aylen, G. Cavan, K. Albertson & D. Boys, 24. Moorland restoration: potential and progress, P. Anderson, M. Buckler & J. Walker, 25. Ecosystem services: a new rationale for conservation of upland environments, A. Bonn, M. Rebane & C. Reid, Conclusion, 26. Managing change in the uplands: challenges in shaping the future, A. Bonn, T. Allott, K. Hubacek & J. Stewart

The real estate industry in general and its business models in particular are facing a transformational process, caused by fundamental and multidimensional changes in technology, economy and society. The approaching transformation process results from structural change, which is triggered by megatrends and various drivers of change. The changes in market environment and business models are going to be permanent, thus this process is of strategic importance for long-term decisions of all market participants in the real estate industry. Existing business models come under pressure to adapt, but at the same time changes offer a vast amount of development opportunities for all market players. Due to real estate participants reacting to this change, we speak of a transformational process.So far, no systematic research about how this transformation process is affecting the real estate industry has been done. Apparently, research has dealt with specific aspects but has failed to provide a comprehensive overview of this research domain. Therefore, our first research goal is to measure the diverse mechanisms of this transformation. Subsequently, our further research objective is to point out how business models of the various German real estate industry participants are affected and how they adapt to the pressure of structural change.Based on a systematic literature review, a theoretical framework has been developed. This framework is tested empirically by a quantitative survey of 249 decision makers in top management positions of German real estate industry. Structural equation modelling is used to show that megatrends have an indirect impact on corporate adjustments of the participants. The change processes triggered in this way, however, only translate into action through concrete drivers of structural change, that are relevant for this specific industry. Further investigations have been carried out on the market participants to figure out the relationships between the drivers of change and the adaption strategies. The results show that it is not just digitalisation that triggers the transformation. For many players, increase of efficiency in their traditional processes is their main focus, instead of evolving new business models or products and services.Only if the effects of the drivers of change and their consequential impacts on business models in the real estate industry are anticipated correctly, strategic management approaches dealing with future challenges and actively shaping the transformation processes, can be developed properly. The findings help to characterize the need for change in the real estate industry. Furthermore, the study reveals approaches for developing new and innovative business models.

Body-worn cameras (BWCs) are small devices that police officers can affix to their person—in a head-, shoulder-, or chest-mounted position—that can audio and video record their interactions with community members. BWCs have received strong support from the public and, in recent years, widespread buy-in from police leadership and officers because of their ability to improve accountability and transparency and enhance the collection of evidence. Implementation guidelines recommend that officers activate their BWCs during each officer–citizen interaction and inform the people they encounter that they are being recorded. Early research on this technology found that officers equipped with body cameras were significantly less likely to engage in force and receive citizen complaints. However, more recent studies with larger samples have had mixed findings about the impact of body cameras on use of force, citizen complaints, and other police activities and behaviors. Numerous legal and ethical considerations are associated with BWCs, including their implications for privacy concerns and public disclosure. However, police officials, policymakers, civil rights groups, and the public must continue to weigh these privacy concerns against the potential for BWCs to enhance police accountability and transparency. Future scholarship should focus on the degree to which BWCs can improve police–community relations and yield valuable evidence for both criminal cases and internal investigations.