Body‐worn cameras, police arrests, and bureaucratic discretion

A large‐scale causal analysis across the United States

Datos Bibliográficos

ID6361069
AutoresAndrea M Headley (0000-0001-6185-1798, McCourt School of Public Policy Georgetown University Washington District of Columbia USA), Daniel B Baker (0000-0001-9242-2304, Department of Government and Justice Studies Appalachian State University Boone North Carolina USA), Inkyu Kang (0000-0002-7925-6847, School of Public and International Affairs University of Georgia Athens Georgia USA)
Año2025
Volumen85
Número4
Páginas989-1003
Fecha de publicación2025-01-27
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaPublic Administration Review (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0033-3352 • E-ISSN: 1540-6210
EditorialWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/puar.13927
OpenAlexW4406870261
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas2
Referencias citadas71

Drawing on the literature on bureaucratic discretion, this study conducts a large‐scale, nationwide causal analysis of the effects of body‐worn cameras (BWC) in the United States (US). It employs a staggered difference‐in‐differences (DiD) approach using 12 years of panel data (2008–2019) covering 697 local police agencies. The findings indicate that BWC adoption had no significant effect on White arrests but led to an approximately 5.5% decrease in Black arrests. Importantly, the reduction in Black arrests was concentrated in alcohol‐related cases, which involve considerable officer discretion, but did not extend to cases categorized as more serious public safety threats, such as violent or property crimes, where officer discretion may be more limited. Meanwhile, there was also a 7.7% increase in White arrests related to weapon offenses, aligning with prior studies that suggest BWCs may serve as a tool for evidence collection. Our findings provide insight into how BWCs have influenced police arrests in the US, advancing beyond previous single‐case evaluations

Bureaucracy · Cartography · Criminology · Discretion · Geography · Political science · Scale (ratio · Crime Patterns and Interventions · Law · Policing Practices and Perceptions · Psychology · Regulation and Compliance Studies