The ‘Big Brother’ fear can be very challenging for deputies, police, and, correctional officers to overcome when their actions are being recorded and displayed to the community upon request. This fear for officers/deputies includes sometimes unfounded fears of being caught, someone always watching, and their actions being made public for everyone to see all of the time. This webinar provided insights and experiences regarding how law enforcement agencies and their officers and deputies wearing body-worn cameras overcame the ‘Big Brother’ fear. We discussed how the entire implementation process can make a difference generating ‘buy in’ from officers and deputies. It is important for law enforcement agencies to prepare their deputies and officers for success when wearing body-worn cameras by involving them throughout the research, policy development, and deployment of the BWC. Engaging the officers and deputies in educating the community during the research, test, and evaluation phase also promotes community involvement and encourages transparency.
We learned from the Atlanta, GA, Police Department and the Berkeley County, SC, Sheriff’s Office how their departments have overcome this concern. They highlighted the experiences they have had in their BWC programs, including their rollout phase and how they have improved officer buy-in and officer perceptions, as well as how they have alleviated the big brother fear.
Facilitator: Chief Harold Medlock, Fayetteville Police Department (ret.) and BWC TTA Lead
Presenters: Major Leanne Browning, Atlanta Police Department and Inspector Dan Isgett, Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office
To view the slides from the webinar, click here.
