BWC Community Engagement Guidance: Engaging the Community in BWC Policy Development and Reviews of BWC Operations

• NCJ Number: 254806
• Author(s): Steve Rickman; Tammy Felix
• Date Published: January 2020
• Length: 3 pages
• Grant Number(s): 2015-DE-BX-K002
• Agencies: BJA-Sponsored
• Publication Type: Report (Technical Assistance); Report (Grant Sponsored); Instructional Material (Programmed)

Annotation

This is a guide for law enforcement agencies in developing strategies for engaging their communities in the initiation of officers' use of body-worn cameras (BWCs).

Abstract

This guidance is based on lessons learned from the BWC Training and Technical Assistance (TTA) Team's work with hundreds of agencies that participated in the Bureau of Justice Assistance's (BJA's) Body-Worn Camera Policy and Implementation Program (BWC PIP). The rationale for involving the community in BWC initiation is to build trust and support for BWC programs. This guide recommends that agencies inform their communities of their intent to deploy BWCs and engage community stakeholders in the BWC policy development process. Three steps in policy development are suggested. First, identify and list community stakeholders who may have an interest in the deployment of BWCs, such as civic organizations, citizen advisory committees, tenant organizations, churches, schools, and local hospitals. Second, identify methods for communicating with these groups, such as briefings, letters, and social media posts. Third, solicit and document community feedback, including support or concerns. In addition, agencies should continue to keep the public informed after BWC policy development and camera deployment. A separate section of the guide suggests how smaller agencies might involve their communities in the BWC deployment.