'Robocops' in the making: Reframing police-citizen interactions through the lens of body-worn cameras

This paper examines new meanings that police-citizen interactions take on when officers make sense of them through the lens of body-worn cameras (BWCs). Drawing on 30 interviews with frontline police officers in a large Canadian city, we analyse the embodied character of BWCs to show how officers re...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:British journal of criminology 2024-05, Vol.64 (3), p.744-760
Main Authors: Campeau, Holly, Keesman, Laura D
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Attitudes
Electronic surveillance
Police
Police-community relations
Social aspects
Wearable video devices in police work
Citations: Items that this one cites
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Summary:This paper examines new meanings that police-citizen interactions take on when officers make sense of them through the lens of body-worn cameras (BWCs). Drawing on 30 interviews with frontline police officers in a large Canadian city, we analyse the embodied character of BWCs to show how officers reframe their role and the subtleties of their approach in dealing with the public as more 'robotic'. First, the participants believe BWCs curb their ability to build rapport with citizens, and therefore 'dehumanize' interactions. Second, they report a need to operate more 'mechanically' to follow protocol for case-building and use-of-force. Still, 100 per cent of participants remain in favour of BWC use-in an era of high visibility and pressure for accountability, video recording technology offers protection.
ISSN:0007-0955
1464-3529
DOI:10.1093/bjc/azad059