Body worn video

PILLAR 3 TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIAL MEDIA PART 1 implementing new technologies can give police departments an opportunity to fully engage and educate communities in a dialogue about their expectations for transparency accountability and privacy We live in a time when technology and its many uses are advancing far more quickly than our policies and laws.

Technology available to law enforcement today includes everything from body-worn cameras, BWC, to unmanned aircraft, to social media and a myriad of products in between.

the use of technology can improve policing practices and build community trust and legitimacy but its implementation must be built on a defined policy framework with its purposes and goals clearly delineated implementing new technologies can give police departments an opportunity to fully engage and educate communities in a dialogue about their expectations for transparency accountability and privacy but technology changes quickly in terms of new hardware software and other options law enforcement agencies and leaders need to be able to identify assess and evaluate new technology for adoption and do so in ways that improve their effectiveness efficiency and evolution without infringing on individual rights thus despite and because of the centrality of technology in policing law enforcement agencies face major challenges including determining the effects of implementing various technologies identifying costs and benefits examining unintended consequences and exploring the best practices by which technology can be evaluated acquired maintained and managed Addressing these technology challenges by using research, accumulated knowledge, and practical experiences can help agencies reach their goals.

But law enforcement agencies and personnel also need to recognize that technology is only a tool for doing their jobs.

Just because you have access to technology does not necessarily mean you should always use it.

BWCs are a case in point.

An increasing number of law enforcement agencies are adopting BWC programs as a means to improve evidence collection, to strengthen officer performance and accountability, and to enhance agency transparency.

By documenting encounters between police and the public, BWCs can also be used to investigate and resolve complaints about officer involved incidents.