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Date: April 30, 2024 Tue
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Results for video technology
20 results foundAuthor: Miller, Lindsay Title: Implementing a Body-Worn Camera Program: Recommendations and Lessons Learned Summary: Over the past decade, advances in the technologies used by law enforcement agencies have been accelerating at an extremely rapid pace. Many police executives are making decisions about whether to acquire technologies that did not exist when they began their careers - technologies like automated license plate readers, gunshot detection systems, facial recognition software, predictive analytics systems, communications systems that bring data to officers' laptops or handheld devices, GPS applications, and social media to investigate crimes and communicate with the public. For many police executives, the biggest challenge is not deciding whether to adopt one particular technology but rather finding the right mix of technologies for a given jurisdiction based on its crime problems, funding levels, and other factors. Finding the best mix of technologies, however, must begin with a thorough understanding of each type of technology. Police leaders who have deployed body-worn cameras1 say there are many benefits associated with the devices. They note that body-worn cameras are useful for documenting evidence; officer training; preventing and resolving complaints brought by members of the public; and strengthening police transparency, performance, and accountability. In addition, given that police now operate in a world in which anyone with a cell phone camera can record video footage of a police encounter, body-worn cameras help police departments ensure events are also captured from an officer's perspective. Scott Greenwood of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) said at the September 2013 conference: The average interaction between an officer and a citizen in an urban area is already recorded in multiple ways. The citizen may record it on his phone. If there is some conflict happening, one or more witnesses may record it. Often there are fixed security cameras nearby that capture the interaction. So the thing that makes the most sense-if you really want accountability both for your officers and for the people they interact with - is to also have video from the officer's perspective. The use of body-worn cameras also raises important questions about privacy and trust. What are the privacy issues associated with recording victims of crime? How can officers maintain positive community relationships if they are ordered to record almost every type of interaction with the public? Will members of the public find it off-putting to be told by an officer, "I am recording this encounter," particularly if the encounter is a casual one? Do body-worn cameras also undermine the trust between officers and their superiors within the police department? In addition to these overarching issues, police leaders must also consider many practical policy issues, including the significant financial costs of deploying cameras and storing recorded data, training requirements, and rules and systems that must be adopted to ensure that body-worn camera video cannot be accessed for improper reasons. Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, 2014. 92p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 11, 2015 at: http://www.justice.gov/iso/opa/resources/472014912134715246869.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://www.justice.gov/iso/opa/resources/472014912134715246869.pdf Shelf Number: 134908 Keywords: Body-Worn CamerasLaw Enforcement Technology (U.S.)Police AccountabilityPolice BehaviorPolice TechnologyPolice-Citizen InteractionsPolice-Community RelationsVideo Technology |
Author: Mateescu, Alexandra Title: Police Body-Worn Cameras Summary: Police Body-Worn Cameras breaks down what's known - and not known - about the promises, perils, and potential best practices around police body-worn cameras. Both law enforcement and civil rights advocates are excited by the potential of body-worn cameras to improve community policing and safety, but there is no empirical research to conclusively suggest that these will reduce the deaths of black male civilians in encounters with police. There are some documented milder benefits evident from small pilot studies, such as more polite interactions between police and civilians when both parties are aware they are being recorded, and decreased fraudulent complaints made against officers. Many uncertainties about best practices of body-worn camera adoption and use remain, including when the cameras should record, what should be stored and retained, who should have access to the footage, and what policies should determine the release of footage to the public. As pilot and permanent body-worn camera programs are implemented, it is important to ask questions about how they can be best used to achieve their touted goals. How will the implementation of these programs be assessed for their efficacy in achieving accountability goals? What are the best policies to have in place to support those goals? Details: New York: Data & Society Research Institute, 2015. 40p. Source: Internet Resource: Working Paper: Accessed March 12, 2015 at: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2569481 Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2569481 Shelf Number: 134919 Keywords: Body-Worn CamerasLaw Enforcement Technology (U.S.) Police Accountability Police Behavior Police Technology Police-Citizen Interactions Police-Community Relations SurveillanceVideo Technology |
Author: Owens, Catherine Title: The Essex Body Worn Video Trial: The impact of Body Worn Video on criminal justice outcomes of domestic abuse incidents Summary: Some early evaluation work undertaken in England and Wales has shown promising evidence that body worn video (BWV) can increase the proportion of criminal justice (CJ) outcomes in domestic abuse (DA) incidents, but the findings were limited. The randomised controlled trial (RCT) reported in this paper tested the impact of BWV on the CJ outcomes for domestic abuse incidents in Essex. The intervention was the issuing of BWV to officers who provided first response to incidents of DA. In total, 80 officers were randomly assigned to the treatment group (to wear body worn video cameras) - 70 eventually wore the cameras - and 238 were randomly assigned to the control group (to not receive the cameras). Randomly assigning officers to the intervention group provides a strong basis on which to draw inferences regarding the effects of BWV. Over the four month period of the trial, 308 Essex response officers attended 30,480 incidents, of which 7,609 where domestic abuse incidents; 25% of all incidents attended. Of these, at least one officer wearing a body worn camera attended 2,761 incidents (36% of all domestic abuse incidents attended). The CJ outcomes of the DA incidents attended by treatment and control group officers were analysed - both at the incident and officer level, to see if there were any difference from the presence of a camera in the outcome of the incidents. In addition, an officer survey and officer interviews were conducted to understand why any changes in outcome may have occurred and context. It was not possible to obtain victims' views, or data about the involvement of the victims or witnesses at any stage in the investigation or prosecution. The trial did not look at potential impact of BWV on victim's feelings of fairness and confidence in the way the police handled the incident, or their views on progression of the incident through the Criminal Justice System using BWV footage. Results -- There was no significant difference between whether a camera was present or not in the rate at which incidents resulted in a sanction detection (SD). However, there was evidence to suggest that use of the camera affected the type of SD. A significantly higher proportion of incidents attended by at least one officer wearing a camera resulted in one or more criminal charges rather than another SD outcome (81% of the sanction detections were charges in the treatment group compared to 72% in the control group). This finding was supported by a 5% difference in the mean for individual officer charging rates in the two groups (75% vs 80%), which although not statistically significant2 matches the pattern of findings from incidents. There was no evidence to suggest the cameras work differently for different types of officer, victim or area. However, the presence of the camera increases the probability of an individual being charged (as opposed to other forms of detection), at all risk levels graded by the control room, but the effect was most noticeable for the lower risk cases. There were no differences in incidents being recorded as crimes, or rates of arrest, and too few cases to identify impact on guilty pleas and sentencing at this time. The intention of the trial was to test the impact of BWV on CJ outcomes for DA incidents, but low usage of the cameras by officers may have had a large effect on the CJ outcomes explored in this trial. During the trial, only one in six officers surveyed reported using the camera for all DA incidents, as required by policy, and there were significant practical limitations with the equipment. This trial shows an impact of BWV in its complex 'real world' setting that enables an understanding of when and for whom it is effective. This study was, therefore, an effectiveness study, not a study of how BWV could work in ideal settings - which would need translating to the context to which it is applied. This distinction is important because interventions that lead to significant improvements in 'ideal' settings do not necessarily deliver the same results in the 'real world'. This trial found that BWV was not used as it was intended, but a difference was still seen. One explanation for the charging results could be the effect of expectations of being part of a trial, but the officer interviews and survey gave an insight into the reported difference the cameras made to their response to DA incidents. Officer Experience -- Half of those officers interviewed stated an increased confidence in getting convictions with the cameras, as they felt the cameras gave more detail than a statement could capture. The evidence, interviewed officers reported, was especially useful if it was a recording of the initial account, as it would often capture emotion and any injuries - more accurately reflecting the impact of the incident. An added benefit of the cameras was that often victims reportedly gave a great deal of information about the incident, or appeared when the officers arrived at the scene with visible injuries or clearly emotional, that they felt provided useful evidence at a later stage, particularly for evidence led prosecutions. The interviewed officers' comments all support the increased proportion of charges found. Officers interviewed felt the cameras increased accountability and made them more mindful of their behaviour. While some comments suggested officers' would be more likely to arrest than to take any other action with BWV, this was not found in the results, perhaps because of the force's prior focus on positive action, which officers usually took to mean arrest. They explained a risk aversion to inaction, and how this was amplified by the cameras. There was a feeling they would have to justify action or rather inaction to anyone looking at the footage. However, the strongest message from the survey and interviews was that the cameras had practical limitations, including failure to record, recording at the wrong angle, difficulties switching it on/off and not working in poor lighting, as well as being bulky so difficult to wear were often given as a reason officers stopped using the equipment. Details: Ryton-on-Dunsmore, UK: College of Policing, 2014. 24p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 2, 2015 at: http://college.pressofficeadmin.com/repository/files/BWV_Report.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://college.pressofficeadmin.com/repository/files/BWV_Report.pdf Shelf Number: 135131 Keywords: Body-Worn CamerasDomestic ViolenceLaw Enforcement TechnologyPolice AccountabilityPolice BehaviorPolice PerformanceVideo Technology |
Author: Blitz, Marc Jonathan Title: Police Body-Worn Cameras: Evidentiary Benefits and Privacy Threats Summary: In this Issue Brief, Professor Blitz examines the costs and benefits of body-worn cameras programs. Acknowledging that cameras will not serve as a panacea, Professor Blitz outlines policies that police departments should adopt to ensure the maximum effectiveness of such programs. As Blitz observes, even though such footage is flawed, it is better than accounts given by eyewitnesses long after the event occurred. Blitz admits that such cameras can "transform ephemeral and forgettable moments into permanent and easily shared records" of the parts of our lives we may be "least comfortable sharing with others." To address these privacy concerns, Blitz examines model rules that place greater restrictions on police use of cameras in private homes and prevent the viewing or dissemination of body camera footage except in limited circumstances. Ultimately, Professor Blitz concludes that body-worn cameras can be an important tool in efforts to combat police abuse, if used in accordance with clear guidelines proposed. Details: Washington, DC: American Constitution Society, 2015. 20p. Source: Internet Resource: Issue Brief: Accessed December 1, 2015 at: https://www.acslaw.org/sites/default/files/Blitz_-_On-Body_Cameras_-_Issue_Brief.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: https://www.acslaw.org/sites/default/files/Blitz_-_On-Body_Cameras_-_Issue_Brief.pdf Shelf Number: 137375 Keywords: Body-Worn CamerasLaw Enforcement Technology Police AccountabilityPolice Behavior Police SurveillancePolice Technology Police-Citizen Interactions Police-Community Relations Video Technology |
Author: New York City Department of Investigation Title: Body-Worn Cameras in NYC: An Assessment of NYPD's Pilot Program and Recommendations to Promote Accountability Summary: In September 2014, New York City Police Department (NYPD) Commissioner William Bratton announced the launch of a small-scale pilot program to test the use of body-worn cameras (BWCs) by New York City police officers (Volunteer BWC Pilot Program). In mid- December 2014, the Volunteer BWC Pilot Program began with 54 BWCs deployed to patrol officers across the City. BWCs are mobile cameras worn by police officers that can capture audio and video recordings of encounters between police and members of the public. BWC technology has drawn national attention for its potential to improve policing while promoting transparency and accountability in law enforcement. Police departments using BWCs have reported positive changes in the conduct of both citizens and officers, as well as speedier resolutions to police misconduct complaints and litigation. As a result, BWC programs continue to spread rapidly across the country, and numerous organizations and advocacy groups have published reports and issued their own model BWC policies. However, with the potential benefits of BWCs come certain costs and concerns, including risks to the privacy and safety of both officers and the public. As NYPD ventures into the new, evolving, and high-profile world of BWCs, it will need to ensure that the policies and procedures governing BWC use are fair, practical, legal, and transparent. To this end, the New York of the Inspector General for the NYPD (OIG-NYPD) has conducted a detailed review of NYPD's Volunteer BWC Pilot Program in order to assess how certain key topics are addressed and to identify areas not adequately covered by the policy. Specifically, OIG-NYPD focused on five topics at the forefront of the discussion surrounding BWCs: - Officer discretion regarding when to record - Notifications to citizens by officers when a BWC is activated - Safeguards to ensure officer compliance with BWC policy - Access to footage by officers and the public - Retention and purging of BWC footage These issues are critical components of any BWC policy and have stirred the greatest controversy among police executives, oversight agencies, officers, and the unions that represent them. In order to better understand the Volunteer BWC Pilot Program in both theory and practice, OIG-NYPD conducted several meetings with the NYPD team that created, launched, and is overseeing the Volunteer BWC Pilot Program. Separately, OIG-NYPD interviewed multiple police officers who are participating in the program and wearing BWCs on patrol. As BWCs impact various groups, OIG-NYPD also consulted with entities that deal directly with NYPD - such as the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association (PBA), Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB), representatives from each of the City's five District Attorney's Offices and community advocates. Lastly, OIG-NYPD's evaluation of the Volunteer BWC Pilot Program included a comparative examination of NYPD's Operations Order 48 "Pilot Program - Use of Body-Worn Cameras" (Op Order 48) against the BWC policies of other police departments across the country and the policy recommendations of numerous independent studies. Through this work, OIG-NYPD was able to conduct a thorough and unique assessment of Op Order 48, specifically tailored to New York City's distinct policing environment. Based on the information gathered, OIG-NYPD developed 23 recommendations for improving the use of BWCs as NYPD transitions from its current pilot program to a more expansive long-term BWC program. Several of these recommendations - based on interviews with police officials and prosecutors, as well as the experiences of police departments nationwide - involve the safety of officers and witnesses as well as the integrity of the prosecution process. Details: New York: Department of Investigation, Office of the Inspector General, 2015. 71p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 1, 2015 at: http://www.nyc.gov/html/oignypd/assets/downloads/pdf/nypd-body-camera-report.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: http://www.nyc.gov/html/oignypd/assets/downloads/pdf/nypd-body-camera-report.pdf Shelf Number: 137413 Keywords: Body-Worn Cameras Law Enforcement Technology Police Accountability Police Behavior Police Surveillance Police Technology Police-Citizen Interactions Police-Community Relations Video Technology |
Author: Edmonton Police Service Title: Body Worn Video: Considering the Evidence Summary: The Edmonton Police Service has completed a comprehensive three-year study to assess the effectiveness of body worn video (BWV) for use by its officers, and as a result of the research findings, will proceed with a graduated deployment of cameras to specialized police units at this time. The EPS BWV pilot project ran from October 2011 to December 2014, with operational field testing through a variety of environments from October 2012 to July 2014. This project was partially funded through the Canadian Police Research Centre and continued under the Canadian Safety and Security Program, which is a federal program led by Defence Research and Development Canada's Centre for Security Science, in partnership with Public Safety Canada. From the outset, privacy has been a major consideration of the EPS BWV project. The EPS research team consulted with the Alberta Privacy Commissioner who provided valuable insight and recommendations. Respective of this input, the EPS created policies and procedures for the BWV pilot project that aligned with the BWV guidance document issued by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada. As part of the BWV testing, the EPS issued 56 industry-standard cameras to officers in: Downtown Division and Beats; West Edmonton Mall and Whyte Avenue Beats; the Impaired Driving Countermeasures Unit; and with the Disaster and Emergency Operations Unit for a training exercise with Fire Rescue and EMS. While the body worn video project reviewed technical performance, legal considerations, and usefulness in everyday policing and investigations, it also surveyed the public and police officers on their opinion. Based on the pilot project findings, the EPS has decided to proceed with a graduated deployment of a body worn video program over the next two to five years. Cameras will be used by officers who are involved in high-risk interactions with the public, where the officers are on the scene of a crime being committed, and the evidence captured on video is of the greatest value in providing information to the courts. Examples include: the Specialized Traffic Apprehension Team (STAT) that intercept high-risk vehicles; the Impaired Driving Countermeasures Unit for Checkstop operations; Tactical Team entries where weapons may be involved; and the Public Order Unit when responding to riots. The graduated roll-out of BWV will require training of officers, revising instructional materials, modifying police uniforms to carry cameras, as well as submitting a service package for funding, sourcing newer BWV cameras, and utilizing a new digital asset management system. Details: Edmonton, Alberta: Edmonton Police Service, 2015. 241p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 8, 2016 at: http://www.bwvsg.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Edmonton-Police-BWV-Final-Report.pdf Year: 2015 Country: Canada URL: http://www.bwvsg.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Edmonton-Police-BWV-Final-Report.pdf Shelf Number: 137812 Keywords: Body-Worn CamerasLaw Enforcement Technology (U.S.) Police Accountability Police Behavior Police Technology Police-Citizen Interactions Police-Community Relations Surveillance Video Technology |
Author: Hurley, Greg Title: Body-Worn Cameras and the Courts Summary: In response to the August 9, 2014 shooting death of Michael Brown by Officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Missouri, a citizen petition was posted on the White House website, petitions.whitehouse.gov. It asked people to sign if they supported a law requiring all state, county, and local police to wear body-worn cameras, or BWCs. Within a few weeks, the petition collected 150,000 signatures. The response to this petition received national mainstream media attention. Roy L. Austin, Jr., deputy assistant to the president for the Office of Urban Affairs, Justice and Opportunity in the Domestic Policy Council, responded to the petition on behalf of the administration. He noted that research suggested that BWCs can have significant benefits to the community, which can include: - evidence that both officers and civilians acted in a more positive manner when they were aware that a camera was present; - new opportunities for effective training of law enforcement officers presented by the use of cameras; and - useful evidence of interactions was often captured on video. However, he also stated that the cost of this technology cannot be ignored, and there are some significant unanswered questions that need to be addressed, such as: - What is the most effective type of camera (vehicle, body, weapon) - and if body, where is it best placed (lapel, ear, belt)? - What are the privacy implications of having officers record interactions with the public? - When should cameras be turned on? - Does every officer on a force need a camera? - How long should video data be maintained and who should have access to it? - What is the impact on community relationships? On December 2, 2014, Shaun Donovan, the director of the White House's Office of Management and Budget, announced that a proposed, three-year $263 million Community Policing Initiative would include an investment package that would increase the use of BWCs. This was a significant statement from the Obama Administration and demonstrated the administration's view that BWCs could be a useful tool in providing greater officer accountability and promoting more trust in law enforcement by the general public. On September 21, 2015, the Department of Justice announced over $23 million in federal funding to support a BWC pilot program, which will support 73 local and tribal law enforcement agencies in 32 states. In their press release, they noted that this was done as a "part of President Obama's commitment to building trust and transparency between law enforcement and the communities they serve." This development is not surprising as the Obama Administration had previously indicated a willingness to deploy BWC technology. It is reasonable to assume that the cumulative effect of public support for officers using BWCs, and the federal government's willingness to provide funding for a significant pilot program, suggests that BWCs will become an increasingly common piece of law enforcement equipment. In fact, the author is of the opinion that within the next five to ten years, the vast majority of law enforcement officers nationally will be equipped with and required to wear and use BWCs. Details: Williamsburg, VA: National Center for State Courts, 2016. 56p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 22, 2016 at: http://ncsc.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/criminal/id/268 Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: http://ncsc.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/criminal/id/268 Shelf Number: 137938 Keywords: Body-Worn Cameras Law Enforcement Technology (U.S.) Police Accountability Police Behavior Police Technology Police-Citizen Interactions Police-Community Relations Surveillance Video Technology |
Author: Digard, Leon Title: A New Role for Technology: Video Visitation in Prison Summary: Research shows that prison visitation is integral to the success of incarcerated people, reducing recidivism, facilitating their reentry into the community, and promoting positive parent-child relationships. However, people are often incarcerated long distances from their home communities in areas that are difficult to reach by public transport, creating significant barriers to in-person visitation. Departments of corrections are therefore exploring the use of technology as a means to address some of the visitation needs of those in custody in a cost-effective way. Video visits may not only help bridge the distance between incarcerated people and their loved ones, but may also expand visiting to include a broader array of people who are unable to make in-person visits. While there has been some controversy around the introduction of video visitation in local jails (with some jail jurisdictions eliminating in-person visits entirely), less is known about the use of the technology in state prison systems. This report examines the current landscape of video visitation in prisons nationwide and offers a detailed case study of the Washington State Department of Corrections, an early adopter. Details: New York: Vera Institute of Justice, 2016. 24p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 4, 2016 at: http://www.vera.org/sites/default/files/resources/downloads/video-visitation-in-prison.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: http://www.vera.org/sites/default/files/resources/downloads/video-visitation-in-prison.pdf Shelf Number: 138038 Keywords: Families of Inmates Prison Visits Prisoners Video TechnologyVisitation |
Author: Dlagnekov, Louka Title: Video-based Car Surveillance: License Plate, Make, and Model Recognition Summary: License Plate Recognition (LPR) is a fairly well explored problem and is already a component of several commercially operational systems. Many of these systems, however, require sophisticated video capture hardware possibly combined with in- frared strobe lights, or exploit the large size of license plates in certain geographical regions and the (artificially) high discriminability of characters. One of the goals of this project is to develop an LPR system that achieves a high recognition rate without the need for a high quality video signal from expensive hardware. We also explore the problem of car make and model recognition for purposes of searching surveillance video archives for a partial license plate number combined with some visual description of a car. Our proposed methods will provide valuable situational information for law enforcement units in a variety of civil infrastructures Details: San Diego: University of California, San Diego, 2005. 93p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed August 25, 2016 at: http://vision.ucsd.edu/belongie-grp/research/carRec/dlagnekov_thesis_2005.pdf Year: 2005 Country: United States URL: http://vision.ucsd.edu/belongie-grp/research/carRec/dlagnekov_thesis_2005.pdf Shelf Number: 140030 Keywords: License Plate RecognitionVideo SurveillanceVideo Technology |
Author: Morrison, Caren Myers Title: Body Camera Obscura: The Semiotics of Police Video Summary: Our understanding of violent encounters between the police and civilians is now primarily mediated by video images. With surprising rapidity, recording these encounters has become an integral part of modern policing, sparking the current body camera bonanza. When these recordings are used as evidence in police use-of-force cases, the factfinders must decide whether the police officer's actions were "reasonable" under the Fourth Amendment. But there is an unrecognized fault line between "police video" (video recorded by the police in the course of their official duties) and "eyewitness video" (recorded by bystander-witnesses). Police video tends to recirculate dominant narratives of violence and masculinity as heroic ideals that coexist easily with the legal standard of the reasonable officer. In contrast, eyewitness videos typically offer the counter-narrative of an abusive state. These images have evidentiary value, but also cultural currency. They reflect back to us our feelings about violence, race, masculinity, and the law. This article proposes a descriptive critique of the use of video evidence in assessing the lawfulness of police violence. Using insights from semiotics, film criticism, cultural theory, and cognitive psychology, it attempts to sketch out a more nuanced way of approaching video evidence in the context of these cases. Details: Atlanta: Georgia State University - College of Law, 2016. 44p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 30, 2016 at: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2826747 Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2826747 Shelf Number: 140085 Keywords: Body-Worn CamerasFourth AmendmentPolice AccountabilityPolice ShootingsPolice Use of ForceVideo Technology |
Author: Big Brother Watch Title: Are They Still Watching: The cost of CCTV in an era of cuts Summary: CCTV has been a mainstay of our streets and public spaces for over 20 years. 10 years ago the enthusiasm for CCTV led to the UK being classified as the most watched nation on earth. As ever where we lead, others follow, countless countries around the world are now installing cameras and surveilling their citizens. But what now for the UK, where are we currently at with this technology? Are we still rampantly installing CCTV or have we reached saturation point , and if not what might the future of street surveillance bring? Public space CCTV is maintained by a number of different bodies; the police, local authorities, private businesses and increasingly by private individuals. Local authorities use CCTV for crime detection and prevention, including watching pubs, clubs and bars at night, as well as monitoring the flow of people and traffic. Local authorities have historically been enthusiastic at installing CCTV on our streets. Between 1999 and 2012 the number of cameras installed by local authorities across the country jumped from 21,000 to over 51,000. In response to this Big Brother Watch used Freedom of Information requests to determine how much money was being spent on these systems. The report Price of Privacy (2012) revealed that between 2007 and 2011 local authorities spent $515 million installing, maintaining and monitoring CCTV cameras. A staggering sum. Five years on we present Are They Still Watching? an update of the figures outlining the money spent by local authorities on the CCTV systems between 2012 to 2015. Our findings show that nationally there has been a decrease in the money spent on the installation, maintenance and monitoring of CCTV. Whilst some parts of the country have scrapped their CCTV schemes altogether, other areas, notably London have reported over a 71% increase in CCTV coverage. Whilst we are pleased to see a reduction in spending on CCTV, we have to understand that the rationale behind the figures is not ideological. Local authorities have not suddenly woken up to privacy and acknowledged the intrusion CCTV causes. It is vital that we consider the financial pressures on local authorities during this period. It has been noted that in the 2015/2016 financial year alone, local authorities have been instructed to find $2.6 billion of savings2 we suspect therefore that our findings highlight the budgetary constraints and cuts in council coffers since 2010. Details: London: Big Brother Watch, 2016. 69p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 14, 2016 at: https://www.bigbrotherwatch.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Are-They-Still-Watching.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.bigbrotherwatch.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/Are-They-Still-Watching.pdf Shelf Number: 147876 Keywords: Closed Circuit TelevisionCosts of Criminal JusticePrivacySurveillanceSurveillance CamerasVideo Technology |
Author: Schumm, Joel M. Title: Policing Body Cameras: Policies and Procedures to Safeguard the Rights of the Accused Summary: To contribute to the important national debate about body cameras, and in response to “the furor over recent cases in which unarmed black men were killed by law enforcement,” National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) then-President Theodore Simon established a working group in December 2014 and, in July 2015, the NACDL Board of Directors adopted a set of principles on body camera policies to direct future work of this Body Camera Task Force. Over the months of drafting and discussing this report, many more men and women of color and other civilians have been shot by police under circumstances that raise serious concerns and leave many unanswered questions. At times, multiple shootings have grabbed headlines in different cities in the same week. NACDL’s concern is not limited to those killed and their families, but also extends to the communities torn apart by the distrust that such shootings often bring or exacerbate and to the rights of police officers involved, some of whom may be criminally charged. The core mission of NACDL is to: “Ensure justice and due process for persons accused of crime … Foster the integrity, independence and expertise of the criminal defense profession … Promote the proper and fair administration of criminal justice.” The use of body cameras will not eliminate unnecessary shootings of civilians, but NACDL believes the documentation of police-citizen encounters has already had, or over time will have, a salutary effect on policing and the criminal justice system, by ensuring a more full and fair record of these encounters. NACDL cautiously endorses the continued and wider use of body cameras implemented with the protections outlined in this report. The use of body cameras under the carefully-crafted policies outlined below offers the potential to ensure both police accountability and the creation and maintenance of a fuller evidentiary record, which is essential to further the search for truth in investigations and trials. Body cameras are not by any means a complete solution to what ails the criminal justice system, and their increased implementation should in no way supplant other important initiatives. NACDL may revisit its endorsement of the use of body cameras and the principles essential to their use as new issues or concerns arise. Details: Washington, DC: National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, 2017. 44p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 21, 2017 at: www.nacdl.org/policingbodycameras Year: 2017 Country: United States URL: www.nacdl.org/policingbodycameras Shelf Number: 144535 Keywords: Body-Worn Cameras Law Enforcement Technology Police Accountability Police Behavior Police Technology Police-Citizen Interactions Police-Community Relations Surveillance Video Technology |
Author: Young, Joshua Title: Implementation of a Randomized Controlled Trial in Ventura, California: A Body-Worn Video Camera Experiment Summary: Police agencies from around the world are currently deploying police practices which have been empirically shown to be ineffective. Yet, alarmingly, there doesn't seem to be any urgency to move away from these ineffective practices and into methods supported by evidence. It could be that the idea of using evidence from criminological research and running scientific experiments to test the effectiveness of new innovations seems out of reach for local agencies. In reality, this is far from the truth. There is currently, however, a lack of implementation literature for police agencies looking to implement experimentation and transition to evidence-based practices. The purpose of this thesis is to dispel the myth that integrating an evidence-based policing culture and scientifically testing new innovations is outside the scope of local police agencies. Based on lessons learned from implementing a body-worn video (BWV) camera randomized controlled trial (RCT), this thesis is written to offer the practitioner a real-world thematic guide. This guide aims to assist police agencies looking to implement a BWV camera experiment and provide recommendations on how to integrate and sustain an evidence-based policing culture. During the Ventura Police Department's (VPD) randomized controlled trial (RCT), we were not only able to implement an experiment with the University of Cambridge but provide a replication study of the first BWV camera randomized controlled trial conducted in Rialto, California. During the implementation of Ventura's BWV randomized controlled trial, we encountered stumbling blocks in the non-compliance of the randomization schedule. We show with verifiable data that we were able to increase officer compliance by 92% and provide recommendations on how to reduce contamination issues by laying an evidence-based foundation prior to implementation. In addition, I offer a recommendation for agencies looking to embrace evidence-based policing to create a guiding coalition with enough influence to support, integrate, and sustain a culture willing to test new innovations. Our experiment evaluates the effects of BWV cameras on police use of force and citizens' complaints. In addition, Ventura's BWV camera experiment will be the first to empirically test the effects of BWV cameras on prosecution outcomes, particularly the speed of early-guilty pleas and the rate of prosecution. I purposely do not provide any preliminary data relating to use of force, citizens' complaints, and prosecution outcomes. It is too early to show any causal inferences to suggest the effects the BWV cameras are having at VPD. However, early indications suggest that the cameras are having a positive effect. We look to provide statistical strength to Rialto's findings at the conclusion of our 12 month RCT. Details: Cambridge, UK: Fitzwilliam College, University of Cambridge, 2014. 87p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed April 10, 2017 at: http://www.crim.cam.ac.uk/alumni/theses/Joshua%20Young%20Thesis.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United States URL: http://www.crim.cam.ac.uk/alumni/theses/Joshua%20Young%20Thesis.pdf Shelf Number: 144766 Keywords: Body-Worn CamerasCamerasEvidence-Based PolicingEvidence-Based ProgramsPolice AccountabilityPolice TechnologySurveillance Video Technology |
Author: Digard, Leon Title: Closing the Distance: The Impact of Video Visits in Washington State Prisons Summary: Research has shown that continued connection to family and friends is a critical factor in incarcerated people's successful post-prison outcomes. Because many prisons around the country are in remote locations, far from the communities where the majority of incarcerated people live, in-person visits present often insurmountable logistical and financial challenges. For corrections officials looking to keep those in prison in touch with those in the community, video visiting offers a new route. Given its ability to bridge physical separation, this technology lends itself to addressing the difficulties incarcerated people and their loved ones in the community face to keep in touch. In 2016, the Vera Institute of Justice (Vera) published a national study of state corrections systems' adoption of video telephony as a way to visit incarcerated people. The study found that many state prison systems were weary of adopting video visiting, given security concerns and implementation costs. One early adopter of the technology was the Washington State Department of Corrections, which introduced video visiting using computers in its prisons in 2014. The current study examines the impact of video visiting in Washington on incarcerated people's in-prison behavior and analyzes their experience of the service. The principle finding was that using the service had a positive impact on the number of in-person visits the video visit users received. In at least one significant sense, the findings follow what we know about the digital divide: Younger people tended to adopt the new technology more than older people. And video visit users also had the most in-person visits both before and after introduction of the service, suggesting that those with strong social bonds tend to sustain them in as many ways as possible. Vera's researchers found no significant correlation between video visiting and people's in-prison behavior, as measured by the number of infractions they committed during the period under study. Overall, the analysis drew a sobering big picture: Nearly half of the people in Washington's prisons do not have visitors of any kind. And those who do don't have many. One factor was constant across sub-groups: The distance from home had a negative effect on visiting. Travel is expensive and time-consuming; video calls, while cheaper, cost more than a lot of people can spend and are rife with technical glitches. Those who used the service despite its costs and limitations told poignant stories of its benefits: the opportunity for parents and children to bond; the possibility for people in prison to show their families and friends that they are doing well; the chance to talk in a setting less stressful than a prison. Given the importance of sustained human ties for people reentering the community from prison, it behooves corrections officials and policymakers to devote ongoing attention to promoting successful family and community ties while reducing the factors that strain these vital connections. Details: New York: Vera Institute of Justice, 2017. 36p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 21, 2017 at: https://storage.googleapis.com/vera-web-assets/downloads/Publications/closing-the-distance/legacy_downloads/The-Impact-of-Video-Visits-on-Washington-State-Prisons.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United States URL: https://storage.googleapis.com/vera-web-assets/downloads/Publications/closing-the-distance/legacy_downloads/The-Impact-of-Video-Visits-on-Washington-State-Prisons.pdf Shelf Number: 146795 Keywords: Families of Inmates Prison Visits Prisoners Video TechnologyVisitation |
Author: American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts Title: No Tape, No Testimony: How Courts Can Ensure the Responsible Use of Body Cameras Summary: In January 2015, the Chicago Police Department launched a pilot program requiring its officers to use body-worn cameras. The program began in the wake of public outcry over violence by Chicago police officers against civilians, and a police official explained that it sought to "rebuild[] trust with the residents we're sworn to serve." In July 2016, an officer wearing one of these cameras killed Paul O'Neal, a Black teenager who allegedly stole a car and crashed it into a police cruiser. After Mr. O'Neal fled on foot, the officer fatally shot him in the back. In theory, Mr. O'Neal's final moments should have been recorded by the officer's body camera, and the recording should now be available to assist a court, a jury, or the public in deciding whether the shooting was justified. But no such video exists. The camera worn by the officer who killed Mr. O'Neal was reportedly not turned on until after the fatal shot had been fired. This incident, and others like it, have been cited as cautionary tales about how the value of body cameras can be undermined if the police cannot or will not ensure their consistent use. But police departments are not the only institutions capable of assuring the effective use of body-worn cameras. Courts can do it too. For three reasons, courts can and should encourage the police to record, when practicable, their investigative encounters with civilians. 1. Videos of police-civilian encounters have shaken public confidence in the capacity of legal proceedings to separate fact from fiction. Time and again, cases have been headed for an incorrect result - such as the wrongful prosecution of a civilian or the wrongful exoneration of a police officer - until videos surfaced that contradicted officers' versions of events. Meanwhile, there is growing evidence that witness testimony, on which courts must often rely when video is absent, can be quite flawed when used as the exclusive means of resolving disputes between police officers and civilians. Thus, when video evidence of a police-civilian encounter does not exist, legal proceedings may be less likely to get the right answer or to be respected by the public. 2. Police body-worn cameras present a viable and valuable supplement to witness testimony. These cameras are quickly becoming part of the 21st-century police uniform, with a recent survey of 70 law enforcement agencies finding that 95% of respondents had either implemented or had committed to implementing body camera programs. Body cameras can be critical to uncovering the truth when the facts of a police-civilian encounter are contested. There is also evidence that, when body cameras are consistently worn and activated, they can deter misconduct or violence from happening in the first place. 3. Courts have both a distinct interest in and a unique means of encouraging police officers to record their encounters with civilians. Courts have an interest in conducting legal proceedings that are fair, that avoid wrongful convictions and other catastrophic outcomes, and that efficiently resolve disputes. Given those interests, and given that videos of policecivilian encounters can make the difference between just and unjust results, courts should encourage, when practicable, the recording of police-civilian encounters. Rather than leave this task to police departments, whose disciplinary practices are necessarily inconsistent, courts should provide this encouragement by using tools uniquely at their disposal: jury instructions. This report proposes a model jury instruction that encourages the recording of police-civilian encounters by empowering juries to impose evidentiary consequences for unreasonable or bad faith failures to record. This instruction would tell the jury that, if it finds that the police unreasonably failed to create or preserve a video of a police-civilian encounter, it can devalue an officer's testimony and infer that the video would have helped the civilian. If the jury finds that the case involves bad faith, such as the outright sabotage of body cameras, then it should be instructed to disregard officer testimony altogether. The tools that courts can use to craft this instruction already exist. Several courts now use jury instructions to encourage the recording of custodial interrogations and drunk-driving field tests; they can and should craft similar rules for body cameras. These measures can help prevent wrongful convictions, accurately resolve allegations of police misconduct, and enhance public trust in the justice system's capacity to get it right when confronted with police-civilian violence. Details: Boston: ACLU of Massachusetts; Berkeley, CA: University of California, Berkeley School of Law Samuelson Law, Technology & Public Policy Clinic, 2016. 27p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 2, 2017 at: https://www.law.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/SLTPPC_ACLU_BodyCameras_Final.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: https://www.law.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/SLTPPC_ACLU_BodyCameras_Final.pdf Shelf Number: 147015 Keywords: Body-Worn Cameras Law Enforcement Technology (U.S.) Police Accountability Police Behavior Police Technology Police-Citizen Interactions Police-Community Relations Surveillance Video Technology |
Author: Chesterman, Simon Title: Ordinary Citizens or a License to Kill? The Turn to Law in Regulating Britain's Intelligence Services Summary: As the United States goes through yet another cycle of reform of its intelligence services, this article considers the impact that the formalization of intelligence agencies and their powers has had in Britain. Britain long adopted the legal fiction - manifestly false in practice if not in theory - that the representatives of MI5 and MI6 were merely "ordinary citizens." In fact they exercised considerable power and the moves to establish a legal foundation for those powers and appropriate checks and balances in the past two decades were, as the European Court held, demanded by the rule of law. At the same time, however, Britain demonstrates some of the problems attendant to establishing such a legal regime. These include the question of how the mandate of intelligence services should be defined, as well as the possibility that powers granted by law may be exercised by a far wider range of actors than when a key check was the need to keep those powers and actors secret. Finally, Britain is of interest in showing the limitations of law in regulating socially-pervasive technologies, such as the closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras that are ubiquitous in London and other cities large and small. The belated effort to regulate CCTV suggests lessons for other new technologies such as biometric identification and DNA databases. Details: New York: New York University School of Law, 2010. 28p. Source: Internet Resource: NYU School of Law, Public Law Research Paper No. 10-63: Accessed September 9, 2017 at: .http://lsr.nellco.org/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1225&context=nyu_plltwp Year: 2010 Country: United Kingdom URL: .http://lsr.nellco.org/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1225&context=nyu_plltwp Shelf Number: 147202 Keywords: Cameras CCTV Cameras Closed-Circuit Television Intelligence Services Police Intelligence Video Technology |
Author: Shames, Alison Title: Remote Access: Using Video Technology to Treat Substance Users on Probation and Parole in South Dakota Summary: The challenges of accessing services for alcohol and other drug use in South Dakota may have contributed to the state's high percentage of people convicted of low-level nonviolent offenses, particularly for drug or alcohol related offenses. To minimize these challenges, especially for parolees and probationers residing in the state's vast rural areas, the state worked with local providers to pilot a teleconferencing program aimed at connecting people to community-based services without the cost and barrier of transportation or other access issues. This brief describes the issues people on parole or probation encounter and the solutions the state developed to address them. It is the second brief in a series of three that focuses on the Justice Reinvestment Initiative (JRI) - an initiative funded by the U.S. Department of Justice's Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), in partnership with the Pew Charitable Trusts. JRI is a data-driven approach to improve public safety, examine corrections and related criminal justice spending, manage and allocate criminal justice populations in a more cost-effective manner, and reinvest savings in strategies that can hold system-involved people accountable, decrease crime, and strengthen neighborhoods. At least 30 states have engaged in this process. Key Takeaway How South Dakota overcame the challenge of delivering treatment services across vast distances may serve as a guide for interested jurisdictions facing similar issues and hoping to start a similar program. Details: New York: Vera Institute of Justice, 2016. 8p. Source: Internet Resource: Brief: Accessed November 7, 2017 at: https://storage.googleapis.com/vera-web-assets/downloads/Publications/remote-access-video-technology-probation-parole-substance-users-south-dakota/legacy_downloads/Remote-access-using-video-technology-to-treat-substance-users-south-dakota-web-v2.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: https://storage.googleapis.com/vera-web-assets/downloads/Publications/remote-access-video-technology-probation-parole-substance-users-south-dakota/legacy_downloads/Remote-access-using-video-technology-to-treat-substance-users Shelf Number: 148070 Keywords: Community-Based CorrectionsOffender SupervisionParoleesProbationersSubstance Abuse TreatmentVideo Technology |
Author: Gibbs, Penelope Title: Defendants on video - conveyor belt justice or a revolution in access? Summary: Embracing technology is the progressive thing to do. We all know that - it has enriched our lives immeasurably. Sometimes, however, it is really important to pause for thought, and ask whether a seemingly obvious opportunity for a technological solution is actually one that is worth grasping. That is the message from this timely report. It offers a totally convincing argument that the use of video and similar technologies for virtual court hearings may carry risks and costs that outweigh the likely benefits. Court hearings are complex events. It requires a great deal of coordination and cost to assemble all the participants. Surely there are benefits to be had by allowing some - or all - of them to take part in hearings virtually? Certainly there are potential savings, but there are also some obvious, and some less than obvious, costs. The obvious ones are financial. Whilst it is easy and cheap to take part in a short Skype meeting, the virtual reality that is afforded to participants is far from real. It is very much more expensive to provide equipment that meets realistic criteria for court business. There are issues of visual and acoustic clarity. Virtual participants need to see and hear what is going on, and need to be seen and heard just as clearly. Systems need to be 100% reliable and available - which can prove expensive. These practical considerations may be surmountable, of course. 'Teething problems' can be solved, and costs of technology will fall over time - but these arguments do not remove the need for careful and thorough calculation of cost-effectiveness. The non-financial costs of virtual hearings are potentially more troubling. In the first place, many defendants are vulnerable participants, and appearances in court are arguably very stressful 'vulnerable moments' for the majority, sometimes having life-changing consequences. It is overoptimistic to expect them to participate as fully in a virtual hearing as they can in open court, and to ensure that they are properly given voice. More generally, virtual technology inevitably degrades the quality of human interaction. Nuances may be undetected, misunderstandings may go unnoticed more easily. Empathy may be lost. Defence counsel may find it harder to support their clients effectively, and there are some indications that the technology may actually affect court outcomes. In other words, there is no guarantee at present that virtual hearings will not damage the quality of justice. Finally there are more diffuse - but equally important - concerns about the impact of this technology on the legitimacy of the criminal courts. We know that courts draw their legitimacy from many sources. Treating people fairly, giving them respect, listening to their side of the story, explaining the processes carefully, are all important preconditions. But there is also an element of theatre to court business. One might question whether the full pomp and ritual of wigs and gowns are essential to the authority of the court, but it would be naive to ignore the fact that a hearing is an occasion, not simply a transaction. And it seems very likely that the quality of the occasion is thinned by the technologies of virtual reality. Some will be tempted to dismiss this report as sentimental Neo-Luddism. That would be wrong, as its arguments are balanced and thoughtful, and deserve close consideration. For most citizens, court appearances constitute rare and important moments of interaction with the power of the state. It could prove a costly mistake to penny-pinch when orchestrating these moments. Details: London: Transform Justice, 2017. 41p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 8, 2017 at: https://www.barrowcadbury.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/TJ_Disconnected.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United Kingdom URL: https://www.barrowcadbury.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/TJ_Disconnected.pdf Shelf Number: 148768 Keywords: Criminal CourtsCriminal DefendantsDefendantsVideo HearingsVideo Technology |
Author: Okere, Stephen Title: An Evaluation of Circuit Television Cameras in Crime Management: A case Study of Nairobi Central Business District Summary: The study focused on the effectiveness of Closed Circuit Television Cameras (CCTV) in Urban Crime Management in the Central Business District (CBD) of Nairobi. The objective of the study was to explore the extent and effectiveness of CCTV Cameras in alleviating insecurity within Nairobi Central Business District. The theoretical framework looked into the location theory, routine activities theory, situation crime prevention theory and crime prevention through environmental design to understand how crime manifests itself and crime prevention measures adopted. The conceptual framework looked into the Location, Institutional Framework, Resources, Government Policy, Societal value systems, Community participation and Integrated Centralized Surveillance System that makes CCTV system effective in an urban environment. The Methodology used involved CCTV observation, Stratified random sampling of four Strata namely; Institutions/Businesses, Hotels, Supermarkets and Small Business Enterprise using CCTV Cameras. Interviews Schedule was used to interview Administrators, ICT Experts in installation of CCTV Cameras, Law Enforcement agents and urban planners from City Council of Nairobi. The study found out that 92.9% of the total respondents had installed CCTV cameras inside the buildings to offer surveillance inside the buildings. Those connected outside are mainly used to monitor traffic with a few located in strategic areas for crime prevention. 85.7% of the respondents indicated that CCTV cameras were effective where installed and location and coverage of cameras being a critical component. The study recommends the installation of CCTV cameras on the streets for crime prevention. There is also the need to involve all stakeholders including community participation to ensure project sustainability. Finally there is an urgent need for the government to come up with policy guidelines which sets out standards and conditions to be adopted in the operation of CCTV cameras schemes. Details: Nairobi: Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Faculty of Built Environment, University of Nairobi, 2012. 138p. Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: Accessed February 6, 2018 at: https://urbanplanning.uonbi.ac.ke/sites/default/files/cae/artsdesign/urbanplanning/Stephen%20Okere%20Research%20Project.pdf Year: 2012 Country: Kenya URL: https://urbanplanning.uonbi.ac.ke/sites/default/files/cae/artsdesign/urbanplanning/Stephen%20Okere%20Research%20Project.pdf Shelf Number: 149010 Keywords: Camera SurveillanceCamerasCCTVClosed-Circuit Television CamerasCrime PreventionLaw Enforcement Technology Situational Crime PreventionSurveillance Video Technology |
Author: Hollywood, John Title: Using Video Analytics and Sensor Fusion in Law Enforcement Summary: The diffusion of video technology means that law enforcement will increasingly have streaming video feeds from in-car and body-worn cameras that may be monitored to help protect the safety of officers and bystanders. The proliferation of internet-enabled digital video cameras and sensor devices (part of the Internet of Things) provides public safety agencies with a huge technological opportunity. The new but emerging fields of video analytics and sensor fusion offer potential for addressing these challenges. On July 12-13, 2017, on behalf of the National Institute of Justice and the Priority Criminal Justice Needs Initiative, the RAND Corporation, assisted by the Police Executive Research Forum, held a workshop examining these issues. The workshop participants constructed business cases for the use of these tools in law enforcement, identified key innovation needs with respect to their application, explored the types of behavior and objects such tools would be designed to detect, and identified key civil rights and civil liberties protections required for their use. The results were brought together into a research roadmap for this topical area regarding application of these technologies in policing. Details: Santa Monica, California: RAND Corporation and National Institute of Justice, 2018. 35p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 21, 2019 at: https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_reports/RR2600/RR2619/RAND_RR2619.pdf Year: 2018 Country: United States URL: https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR2619.html Shelf Number: 155945 Keywords: Body-Worn Cameras Law Enforcement Policing Sensor Fusion Video Analytics Video Surveillance Video Technology |