Digital Evidence Management is a subject HSFA believes should be at the forefront of our nation’s current public safety dialogue. In the upcoming weeks, HSFA will publish a white paper on the dynamics of modern digital evidence management with focus and recommendations on the technology and the policies that govern its use.
HSFA’s seeking industry experts to peer review and offer remarks on the subject. Check back here for more information on the early pre-release for peer review and the publication date.
Edit: Get a copy of the white paper
Police body-worn cameras
In a sample of police departments surveyed in 2013, approximately 75 percent of them reported that they did not use body-worn cameras. The survey was funded by the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services and conducted by the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF).[1]
PERF’s report about the survey notes a number of perceived benefits for using body-worn cameras, including better evidence documentation and increased accountability and transparency.[2] But the report also notes many other factors that law enforcement executives must consider, such as privacy issues, officer and community concerns, data retention and public disclosure policies, and financial considerations.[3] The costs of implementing body-worn cameras include not only the cost of the cameras, but also of any ancillary equipment (e.g., tablets that let officers tag data in the field), data storage and management, training, administration, and disclosure.[4]
To date, little research is available to help law enforcement executives decide whether and how to implement the use of body-worn cameras in their departments.
NIJ is currently funding two studies — a CNA Corporation study of the impact of body-worn cameras in the Las Vegas Metro Police Department and a Los Angeles Police Foundation evaluation of body-worn video technology in the Los Angeles Police Department.
Additionally, through the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center (NLECTC) system, NIJ funded the development of a primer on body-worn cameras for law enforcement and a market survey of camera systems.
Learn more about:
- Ongoing NIJ-Funded Research on Body-Worn Cameras
- Primer on Body-Worn Cameras for Law Enforcement
- Market Survey of Body-Worn Cameras
- Other Resources
Source: http://www.nij.gov/topics/law-enforcement/technology/pages/body-worn-cameras.aspx