Police accountability and officer misconduct: moderation effects by officers’ gender and race for body-worn cameras and an early intervention system
Policing: An International Journal
ISSN: 1363-951X
Article publication date: 1 October 2024
Issue publication date: 6 November 2024
Abstract
Purpose
Much empirical work has examined body-worn cameras (BWCs), and there is a growing interest in early intervention systems (EISs) in policing. Whether the effects of these accountability mechanisms are stable by officer gender and race remains unknown – important assumptions of each program despite differences in misconduct levels and policing practices by subgroups of officers (i.e. male vs female officers, White vs Black and Hispanic officers).
Design/methodology/approach
The current study uses data from a large Southwestern police department to examine the influence of BWCs and an EIS on alleged and sustained patrol officer misconduct between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2020.
Findings
In line with expectations and the intended goal of these programs, the effects of BWCs and the EIS on officer misconduct were stable by officer gender and race.
Originality/value
Given the importance of addressing officer misconduct to build and maintain community trust and the rapid expansion of BWCs and EISs across the United States, it is vital that police departments consider the accountability programs they implement and the equity of these programs. The current study provides insight into this process in one agency and offers policy implications and directions for future research.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
I would like to thank Drs. Charles Katz, Danielle Wallace, Beth Huebner, and Gary Sweeten for feedback on prior versions of this paper. This work was partially supported by The City of Phoenix through Master Agreement 153669–0 and the ASU Foundation through a generous gift from the Watts Family. All the views and ideas represented in this work are my own and do not represent the positions of the City of Phoenix, Phoenix Police Department, ASU Foundation, or the Watts Family. Special thanks to the Phoenix Police Department and Andrew Nullmeyer, Ben Kartchner, and Amanda Markham for their assistance with the data collected and analyzed in the present work.
Citation
Freemon, K. (2024), "Police accountability and officer misconduct: moderation effects by officers’ gender and race for body-worn cameras and an early intervention system", Policing: An International Journal, Vol. 47 No. 6, pp. 1179-1204. https://doi.org/10.1108/PIJPSM-02-2024-0018
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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