Cops, Cameras, and Crisis

The Potential and the Perils of Police Body-Worn Cameras

Michael D. White, Aili Malm

• Publisher: NYU Press
• Year: 2020
• Print ISBN: 9781479850150
• eBook ISBN: 9781479831579
• Topic: Social Sciences
• Subtopic: Criminology
• Index: Social Sciences

2021 Outstanding Academic Title, Choice Magazine The first expert and comprehensive analysis of the surprising impact of body-worn cameras Following the tragic deaths of Eric Garner, Michael Brown, and others at the hands of police, interest in body-worn cameras for local, state, and federal law enforcement has skyrocketed. In Cops, Cameras, and Crisis, Michael D. White and Aili Malm provide an up-to-date analysis of this promising technology, evaluating whether it can address today's crisis in police legitimacy. Drawing on the latest research and insights from experts with field experience with police-worn body cameras, White and Malm show the benefits and drawbacks of this technology for police departments, police officers, and members of the public. Ultimately, they identify—and assess—each claim, weighing in on whether the specter of being "caught on tape" is capable of changing a criminal justice system desperately in need of reform. Cops, Cameras, and Crisis is a must-read for policymakers, police leaders, and activists interested in twenty-first-century policing.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Contents
• Acknowledgments
• 1. Setting the Stage: Innovation, the Current Crisis, and Police Body-Worn Cameras
• 2. Are Body-Worn Cameras a “Silver Bullet” Solution? Research on the Benefits of the Technology
• 3. The Challenges and Limitations of Body-Worn Cameras
• 4. Understanding Body-Worn Camera Adoption: Past, Present, and Future
• 5. Charting a Course for Body-Worn Cameras in the Twenty-First Century
• Notes
• Bibliography
• Index
• About the Authors