Body-Worn Camera Versus Officer Reports: How Inconsistencies Influence Public Perceptions of Trust, Accuracy, and Punishment

Some officers advocate for watching their body-worn camera (BWC) footage before writing incident reports, fearing inconsistencies may damage their credibility. Across two experiments (N = 1580), we examined how inconsistencies influence public perceptions of trust, accuracy, and punishment decisions for an officer involved use-of-force incident. In Experiment 1, participants read a brief description and the officer's report but did not see BWC footage; in Experiment 2, participants read the officer's report and watched ambiguous BWC footage. We manipulated whether the report was described as consistent or inconsistent with the footage and whether the officer wrote the report before or after watching the footage. Overall, inconsistency reduced trust and accuracy ratings and, in Experiment 1, increased charging decisions and guilt judgments. Additionally, participants preferred officers watch BWC footage after writing their reports. These results suggest a need for public education about interpreting inconsistencies and that officers have reason to fear inconsistencies.