Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Project Overview
The city of Milwaukee Police Department (MPD), utilized SPI funds in partnership with a research partner, Urban Institute, to deploy 150 body worn cameras in an 18-month random control trial (RCT). MPD and Urban conducted focus groups with line officers and citizens and analyze baseline data on the nature and volume of police-citizen encounters. The goals of the project were to devise an implementation plan for the Body Worn Camera System (BWCS) strategy that addresses the concerns of citizens and line officers; conduct an RCT to determine how the BWCS strategy improves desired outcomes (i.e. reduced citizen complaints and use of force); analyze the degree to which BWCS are cost-beneficial; and generate and disseminate lessons that can inform law enforcement nationwide on methods of camera use and deployment that achieve intended outcomes. The overall goals of the partnership were to implement cameras in a manner that is guided by research evidence and best practice, to test the current assumptions about the benefits of cameras, and to produce operational knowledge on the ideal and reasonable use of these cameras from the perspective of police decision-makers and accountability-minded community members.
Methods and Findings
Research Design
Randomized controlled trial of 252 officers assigned a BWC and 252 officers without a BWC. The experiment used a difference-in-differences approach for the analysis between the two groups.
Findings
- Those who wore BWCs conducted fewer subject stops and were less likely to receive a complaint than officers that did not receive cameras.
- However, BWCs had no effect on whether officers engaged in use of force during the study period.
