Investigating the influence of institutional perviousness on the adoption of body-worn cameras by United States police agencies

Abstract

ABSTRACT Abstract There is evidence that body-worn cameras decrease rates of police use of force and improve citizens’ perceptions of police legitimacy. Yet, research examining the processes leading agencies to adopt body-worn cameras is sparse. Using the 2013 Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics (LEMAS) data from U.S. police agencies of all sizes, this study examines the relevance of institutional perviousness for body-worn camera adoption. Perviousness governs the chances that an organization adopts a new policy or practice, as well as the extent to which an organization is internally aligned to implement the new innovation. Results demonstrate that perviousness increases the odds of agency body-worn camera adoption, alongside other organizational characteristics. The findings suggest that future research should consider the potential impact of perviousness when investigating other organizational outputs.