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Body-worn Cameras Need a Mix of Planning, Engagement and Policy
Presented by
Amazon Web Services
Presented by
Amazon Web Services
What law enforcement should consider when implementing new technology.
Body-worn cameras are the fastest growing technology sweeping the law enforcement field. But implementing this new technology does not come without its challenges. Police departments can take a few steps prior to implementation that will ensure body cameras are implemented correctly and police and communities realize their benefits, Amazon Web Services Public Safety Evangelist Michael Wagers says.
Wagers, the former Chief Operating Officer of the Seattle Police Department and Director of Law Enforcement Operations and Support at the International Association of Chiefs of Police, has a unique and seasoned vantage point from which to observe emerging tech.
The secret to success, he says, is a combination of planning, engagement and policy development.
“Engaging the right stakeholders and developing a well-thought out policy based on that engagement should precede the deployment of body cameras — and, for that matter, any new technology deployed by police,” Wagers says.
In Seattle, Wagers learned that the involvement of a diverse set of stakeholders is key.
“It is important that you engage and involve stakeholders, from rank-and-file officers, police unions, community groups and civil liberties and privacy organizations,” he says. “They have different perspectives that are crucial to understanding when you are developing the right policy for your community and police agency.”
In thinking about body cameras and the implementation of new technology, Wagers references the ideals of policing established by Sir Robert Peel, the recognized founder of modern British and American policing. According to Peel: “The ability of police to perform their duties is dependent upon public approval of police actions.”
In the United States, Wagers says, “we police by consent.”
Without public trust and consent, communities lose an ideal of policing in democratic society. Body cameras have the potential to help strengthen public approval and trust between police and communities, if implemented correctly.
For departments in search of resources, Wagers recommends U.S. DOJ Bureau of Justice Assistance’s body-worn camera toolkit as well as this policy framework published by the International Association of Chiefs of Police.
To hear more from Wagers, watch the viewcast excerpt below:
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