The Effects of Body-Worn Cameras on Police Efficiency: A Study of Local Police Agencies in the United States

IF 1.4 Q2 CRIMINOLOGY & PENOLOGY

International Criminal Justice Review Pub Date : 2024-03-04 DOI:10.1177/10575677241229672

Erik Alda, Lucia Dammert

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Abstract

Research on body-worn cameras (BWCs) has burgeoned in recent years. However, much of this research has not examined the effects of this technology on police performance. In this study, we created a novel dataset on police organizational inputs and outputs and assessed the effects that BWCs have on police efficiency. Using a multiple-stage approach, in the first stage, we estimated the efficiency of local police agencies using a robust order- m efficiency model. In the second stage, we assessed the effects of BWCs using a range of matching estimators and an instrumental variable (IV) model. The first-stage results show that police agencies could improve their efficiency by 2% (from a mean efficiency score of 0.98 to 1). The second-stage matching and IV estimates suggest BWC effects on efficiency range between four and six percentage points in our preferred model. The introduction of this significant technological advance has brought many benefits to police agencies. Our findings show that BWCs can help improve police efficiency, yielding significant cost savings to law enforcement.

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佩戴式摄像机对警察效率的影响：美国地方警察机构研究

近年来，有关随身摄像机（BWCs）的研究如雨后春笋般涌现。然而，这些研究大多没有考察该技术对警察绩效的影响。在本研究中，我们创建了一个关于警察组织投入和产出的新数据集，并评估了 BWC 对警察效率的影响。在第一阶段，我们采用多阶段方法，利用稳健的阶乘效率模型估算了当地警察机构的效率。在第二阶段，我们使用一系列匹配估计器和工具变量（IV）模型评估了 BWCs 的影响。第一阶段的结果显示，警察机构的效率可以提高 2%（从平均效率得分 0.98 提高到 1）。第二阶段的匹配和 IV 估计表明，在我们首选的模型中，《生物武器公约》对效率的影响在 4 到 6 个百分点之间。这一重大技术进步的引入为警察机构带来了诸多益处。我们的研究结果表明，BWC 可以帮助提高警察效率，为执法部门节省大量成本。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

International Criminal Justice Review CRIMINOLOGY & PENOLOGY-

CiteScore

4.50

自引率

6.20%

发文量

期刊介绍： International Criminal Justice Review is a scholarly journal dedicated to presenting system wide trends and problems on crime and justice throughout the world. Articles may focus on a single country or compare issues affecting two or more countries. Both qualitative and quantitative pieces are encouraged, providing they adhere to standards of quality scholarship. Manuscripts may emphasize either contemporary or historical topics. As a peer-reviewed journal, we encourage the submission of articles, research notes, and commentaries that focus on crime and broadly defined justice-related topics in an international and/or comparative context.