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A seemingly objective record of officer <br />behavior is one of the main reasons why <br />communities called for implementation of <br />BWCs, yet not much is known about the <br />effects of cameras on officers' behavior <br />regarding disparity and bias. Much of the <br />research exploring BWCs and disparities <br />focuses on the extent to which the <br />disparity exists rather than interventions <br />to effectively reduce it. More research <br />is needed to understand the extent to <br />which BWCs reduce aggregate disparities, <br />implicit bias, or explicit bias? <br />Officer <br />Attitudes <br />toward <br />Body <br />-Worn <br />Cameras <br />Officers initially tend to react positively <br />toward BWCs; if not, they tend to become <br />more positive with time and experience <br />using the cameras. They see the cameras <br />as protecting them against the public <br />and frivolous complaints from community <br />members, and as helpful for evidentiary <br />purposes. Officers, when surveyed, don't <br />consistently believe that BWCs change <br />their behavior. According to Dr. Lum, <br />"Police and the public both like BWCs <br />because they think that BWCs can protect <br />them from the other" <br />There are few studies on how BWCs affect <br />compliance, resistance, or assaults on <br />officers, Most studies show little difference <br />in these areas between interactions <br />involving BWCs and those without. One <br />study did show that officers with BWCs <br />were met with more resistance and more <br />assaults, but the authors speculated that <br />that difference was an officer effect, not <br />a citizen effect. Other behavioral impacts <br />regrading citizens have not been much <br />studied. <br />The community generally sees BWCs <br />as a positive thing, and they have high <br />expectations for them. However, there <br />is less positivity among young people, <br />persons of color, or those living in some fear <br />of crime. "In terms of citizen satisfaction, <br />citizens likely judge satisfaction on how <br />they're treated and how people speak, <br />not necessarily on whether a camera is <br />on the officer. Sometimes they don't even <br />know or remember that the camera was <br />on the officer" More research is needed <br />to disentangle the wearing of a BWC with <br />procedural justice practices. <br />The use of BWCs in investigations <br />increases the rate of guilty pleas, <br />convictions, and case clearances. One <br />study found that body cameras may <br />be useful for prosecuting intimate and <br />domestic violence cases, especially if the <br />victim does not want to testify in court. <br />• Police Body Cameras: What Have We Learned Over Ten Years of Deployment? 1 4 <br />