Police departments are adopting body-worn cameras in hopes of improving civilian–police interactions. In a large-scale field experiment (2,224 officers of the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, DC), researchers randomly assigned officers to receive cameras or not. They tracked subsequent police behavior for a minimum of 7 months using administrative data. Results indicate that cameras did not meaningfully affect police behavior on a range of outcomes, including complaints and use of force. This report conclude that the effects of cameras are likely smaller than many have hoped.
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