Voices from the Field

Since 2015, the Body-Worn Camera (BWC) Policy Implementation Program (PIP) has worked with 420 police agencies across the country to support BWC initiatives. The primary goals of PIP are to improve public safety, reduce crime, and improve public trust between police and the citizens they serve.

Featured below are some of the sites who have or are still working in the PIP program. Click on the department name to access the webinar, podcast, resource, or commentary featuring one of the sites.

sitespotlight

Jonesboro, Arkansas, Police Department
  • Harnessing the Evidentiary Value of Body-Worn Cameras
Park City, Utah, Police Department 
    • Integrating Body-Worn Camera and In-Car Camera Systems
    Wichita, Kansas, Police Department
    • Deploying Body-Worn Cameras to SWAT

    commentaries

    Bedford County, Virginia, Sheriff's Office

                          • BWC use beyond patrol, including field division, school resource officers, civil process servers, courtroom security, vice/narcotics, and criminal investigations
                          Camden County, New Jersey, Police Department
                          • Sustaining a successful BWC program
                          Des Moines, Iowa, Police Department
                          • Body-Worn Cameras and Special Events Policing
                          Gresham, Oregon, Police Department
                          • Navigating the vendor selection process
                          Hogansville, Georgia, Police Department 
                          • BWC implementation challenges
                          • BWCs as a tool for documenting the actions of officers and subjects, evidence gathering, interviews, and court proceedings
                          Miami-Dade, Florida, Police Department
                          • Working with a researcher
                          • BWC program evaluation
                          Las Vegas Metropolitan, Nevada, Police Department
                          • Leading the Way on Body-Worn Camera Implementation: policy development, research and evaluation, and BWC technology management. 
                          Newton County, Georgia, Sheriff's Office
                          • The Importance of Engaging Stakeholders
                          Pemberton Township, New Jersey, Police Department
                          • Overcoming Hurdles During BWC Implementation 
                          Peoria, Illinois, Sheriff’s Office; Peoria Police Department; East Peoria Police Department; and Peoria Parks Department
                          • Working collaboratively with area agencies and community groups to develop a BWC policy

                          Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD)

                          • Benefits and Challenges of a Regional Approach

                          Rapid City, South Dakota, Police Department and Pennington County Sheriff's Office
                          • Testing BWCs in the field

                          Regional Justice Information Service (REJIS)

                          • Regional Approaches to Body-Worn Camera Implementation

                          Schenectady, New York, Police Department
                          • BWC policy development, BWC stakeholders group, and testing and evaluating BWC systems
                          Sturgis, Michigan, Police Department
                          • Use of BWCs in training, including firearms, defensive tactics, active shooters, and driving
                          Virginia Beach, Virginia, Police Department
                          • Methodological approach to researching, planning, implementing, and evaluating a BWC program, including integrating BWCs with CAD and in-car cameras
                          Washington, DC Metropolitan Police Department
                          • Evolving with BWC Technology: Integrating BWC technology into existing technology

                          webinars

                          • BWC Implementation: Lessons learned from FY2015 BWC PIP Sites

                          Monroe County, New York; San Diego County, California; and Travis County, Texas

                          • Evidentiary Value of Body-Worn Camera Footage: Perspectives from the Field
                          Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department
                          • Utilizing BWCs in a large agency in public protests
                          Jonesboro, Arkansas and Fort Smith, Arkansas
                          • Utilizing BWCs in a small agency in public protests

                          resources

                          Fairfax County, Virginia, Police Department

                          • Body-Worn Camera Pilot Project: An Evaluation

                          Greensboro, North Carolina, Police Department

                          • BWC Frequently Asked Questions Card for community members wanting to view a BWC recording

                          Hillsboro, Oregon, Police Department

                          • Video for the community providing a firsthand look at how the department planned to implement their BWCs 
                          New Orleans, Louisiana, Police Department
                          •  Stops, Searches, Arrests, Use of Force, and Procedural Justice Audit Form
                          New Orleans, Louisiana Police Department
                          • Use of Force Reporting and Force Statements Audit Form
                          Pitt County, North Carolina, Sheriff's Office
                          • Body-Worn Camera Public Education Video
                          Tampa, Florida, Police Department
                          • Body-Worn Camera Audit Form

                          podcast

                          Allentown, Pennsylvania, Police Department; Minneapolis, Minnesota, Police Department; and Peoria, Arizona, Police Department

                          • Successes and challenges in implementing a BWC program
                          Arlington, Texas, Police Department
                          • Vendor selection considerations
                          Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, Police Department
                          • Community engagement during BWC policy development
                          Camden County, New Jersey, Police Department
                          • BWCs in a medium-sized agency
                          Cookeville, Tennessee, Police Department
                          • Benefits of working with a state association
                          • Using BWCs during a natural disaster
                          • Resolving complaints with BWC footage
                          Dallas, Texas, Police Department
                          • BWC research, potential outcomes and strategies from lessons learned
                          Denver, Colorado, Police Department
                          • Civilian oversight of policy and training
                          Dinwiddie County, Virginia, Sheriff's Office
                          • BWCs in a rural sheriff's office
                          Elgin, Illinois, Police Department
                          • BWC pilot program
                          • Researching BWCs
                          • Implementing BWCs in a small agency
                          Gresham, Oregon, Police Department
                          • RFP Process
                          • Procurement and Implementation
                          Gustine, California, Police Department
                          • Implementing a BWC program as a small agency
                          • Overcoming obstacles in grant management
                          • Staffing the program with the right people
                          Laredo, Texas, Independent School District
                          • BWCs in a school setting
                          • Outreach to juveniles and parents
                          Las Vegas, Nevada, Police Department
                          • Research spotlight
                          Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians Tribal Police Department
                          • Tribal agency perspective: community outreach, coordination with other federal, state, and local law enforcement, coordination with prosecutors, vendor and storage selections tips, and tribal law enforcement experiences
                          Los Angeles, California, Police Department
                          • Large city CIO perspective
                          • Large city training perspective
                          • multi-year study on the implementation and impact of BWCs on a large police agency
                          Miami Beach, Florida, Police Department
                          • Medium agency perspective
                          • Collaborative research project with a university
                          Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Police Department
                          • BWC research and potential use of research outcomes
                          Montgomery County, Maryland, Police Department
                          • BWCs in the National Capital Region
                          New York, New York, Police Department
                          • Volunteer BWC pilot program and court-ordered pilot program
                          Newport, Rhode Island, Police Department
                          • Importance of a pilot program
                          • Utility of computer-aided dispatch integration
                          • Administering a survey to officers  to gauge buy-in and following up to address officer concerns
                          • Developing a working relationship with the union
                          • Planning for public records requests
                          Nye County, Nevada, Sheriff's Office
                          • community outreach, vendor and storage selections tips, and a rural sheriff's office's experiences
                          Oakland, California, Police Department
                          • Early adopter perspective
                          • Technology perspective: in-house and cloud storage
                          • Defense attorney and client perspective
                          • Research Perspective
                          Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Police Department
                          • BWC pilot program and research
                          Phoenix, Arizona, Police Department
                          • BWCs and the Smart Policing Initiative research program
                          Richmond, California, Police Department
                          • Medium agency perspective
                          Rowan University, New Jersey, Police Department
                          • Engaging the university in BWC policy development
                          • BWCs in a university setting
                          San Francisco, California, Police Department
                          • Officers' right to review BWC video
                          San Francisco’s Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Police Department
                          • BWCs in a transit police department

                          Southeastern Pennsylvania Transit Authority Police Department

                          • Lessons learned from implementing its BWC program
                          Suquamish Tribal Police Department
                          • Tribal agency perspective
                          • challenges around funding to the multi-level jurisdiction/responsibilities of tribal officers
                          Tempe, Arizona, Police Department
                          • Research spotlight - digital evidence study
                          Township of Chocolay, Michigan
                          • Small agency perspective
                          Twin Falls, Iowa, Police Department
                          • Small agency perspective: pilot programs, vendor selection, and transparency
                          Washington, DC, Metropolitan Police Department
                          • BWCs in the National Capital Region: policy creation and community outreach
                          • BWCs in a large agency
                          • BWC research randomized control trial
                          Waynesboro, Virginia, Police Department
                          • BWCs in a small agency: policy and community outreach
                          Wichita, Kansas, Police Department
                          • BWCs in a midwestern agency
                          • policy challenges, vendor considerations, storage considerations
                          Wilmington, Delaware, Police Department
                          • BWC pilot program
                          • Camera testing and evaluation
                          • BWC programs and prosecutors