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Digital transformation in Police Work: Effectiveness of Body

A Thesis Proposal Presented to the College of Criminology

Philippine College of Health Sciences Inc.

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements of the Degree

Bachelor of Science in Criminology

By

Date of Submission

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1.0 Introduction ………….......................................................................... Pg. 3-8

1.1 Background of the Study

1.2 Statement of the Problem

1.3 Review of Related Literature

1.4 Research Objectives

2.0 Summary and Conclusion ……........................................................... Pgs.

3.0 Recommendation ............................................................................... Pg.

4.0 Reference ……… ............................................................................. Pg.

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CHAPTER 1.0 - INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background

Body cameras in policing are a relatively new notion in the operations of law

enforcement officers around the country. While technology has advanced at a rapid

speed in recent decades, so have policing techniques and technology. (Beglau, 2017)

The Philippine National Police (PNP) officially deployed body-worn cameras on Friday,

June 4, four years after promising to use the devices to help make police operations

more transparent. PNP Chief Police General Guillermo Eleazar stated during a news

conference on Friday that they had trained 600 officers to use the devices so far.

(Bolledo, 2021) The Supreme Court has mandated that law enforcement officers must

wear body cameras during arrests, but the arrest will still be legal if the police can show

that the equipment malfunctioned at the time of the operation or offer other “reasonable

grounds.” The Court issued “Rules on the Use of Body-Worn Cameras in the Execution

of Warrants” on Friday, July 9. (Buan, 2021) According to PNP Chief Guillermo Eleazar,

“The Philippines will eventually have eyes and ears on law enforcement and in the

implementation of peace and order in their country.”. He also stated that the policy was

a “contribute” to Kian Delos Santos. After the killing of Kian Delos Santos in 2017, who

was shot and killed in a dark alley by three cops on a claimed illicit drug participation,

the usage of body-worn cameras was first proposed. The police claimed he fought back,

but CCTV evidence showed that they had manhandled him. (Bolledo, 2021)

Body-worn cameras are an instrument for police to capture their field

observations and meetings consistently and automatically. (Chapman et al.) It can be

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utilized for documentation reasons, including exchanges in police-public meetings with

victims, witnesses, arrests, and important events. These publications offer authorities

information to take into account while creating their body-wearing cameras. It was first

introduced around 2005 in the United Kingdom, then the other countries followed the

trend like Australia, Canada, Singapore, United States, China, etc. However, diverse

opinions are revolving around the use of body-worn cameras. It is not just about making

these cameras a new compulsory piece of law enforcement equipment, but a highly

complicated system with various players and a lot of unsolved constitutional and

economic efficiency issues. Some issues related to the installation of the cameras

include individual privacy rights and whether to record or maintain filming selective to all

contacts with the public. Many believe it’s an infringement of private rights and an

especially difficult element of the argument around the body-wearing camera. Others

argue that the use of technology is a good means of holding law enforcement

responsible, while those who are opposing contend it is another way of corrupting police

organizations. (Beglau, 2017) These are the concerns that are to be addressed in this

research paper. The researchers will collect literary support and previous research

conducted regarding the topic of implementation of body-worn cameras.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

The research presented here addresses the problem about the effectiveness of

the body-worn cameras in preventing police brutality. Research questions are:

RQ1. What are the advantages and disadvantages of using body-worn cameras?

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RQ2. What are the factors affecting the efficiency of wearing body-worn cameras

in preventing police brutality?

RQ3. How effective are body-worn cameras in preventing police brutality?

In order to obtain results, the researchers will gather data from previous related

literature and analyze those data to form a solution to the problem that is presented in

this research.

1.3 Review of Related Literature

While still new and developing, body-worn cameras are gaining popularity among

the public and law enforcement organizations throughout the world for several reasons.

(Beglau, 2017) Several countries in the world have been innovating and applying

technology to provide ease and convenience in our daily lives. According to Chapman

(2018), Body-worn cameras have been suggested as a possible solution to several

issues regarding police accountability and to enhance police enforcement practice in

general. Officers on patrol or other tasks that bring them into touch with people of the

community can utilize the technology, which can be installed on an officer’s spectacles

or chest area, to provide real-time information. However, there are various

disagreements concerning the use of body-worn cameras.

Due to the widespread distribution of research showing the advantages to

agencies and communities throughout the world, BWCs have gained legitimacy among

law enforcement, and a growing number of police agencies are employing them. (White,

2014) One of them is the Philippines which has recently issued a resolution regarding

the rules on the use of the body-worn camera in the execution of warrants. The usage

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of the body-worn camera has both good and negative perceptions. More police

accountability, transparency, legitimacy, improved civilian behavior and actions toward

officials, faster resolution of complaints, increased evidence for arrests, and fewer

complaints against police officers are just a few of the advantages of adopting the

technology. Body-worn cameras, on the other hand, have several disadvantages,

including concerns about an officer and citizen privacy, the extensive training required

for implementing such a new technology, the difficulty of access, and the time limits

associated with downloads. (Beglau, 2017) This is in line with the article of Procon.org

(2021), which says that the advantages of using police body cameras include improving

police accountability and lowering reports of police misconduct, serve as a powerful tool

in domestic violence cases, and good police reform tool to have strong support from

members of the public. In their published literature, they have detailed the support to

these claims coming from different communities, such as Arizona, California, Australia,

and others where these positive effects show throughout the implementation. When the

cameras are rolling, everyone is on their best behavior. The officers, the general

population, and everyone else. (Miller, 2014) Furthermore, a journal article sampled 24

police officers in Himamaylayan City, Negros Occidental regarding their perception of

the use of body-worn cameras during operations. They find BWCs easy to use.

(Talorong et al., 2018) Table below shows the results of the survey.

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In another study written by Alpher et al. (2017), the authors found out that BWC

(Body-Worn Camera)-wearing officers generated significantly fewer complaints and use

of force reports relative to control officers without cameras. BWC-wearing officers also

made more arrests and issued more citations than their non-BWC-wearing controls,

which attests that wearing body-worn cameras is effective.

However, some disadvantages come along with this implementation. From the

published article of Procon.org (2021), disadvantages of body-worn cameras include

expensive and unreliable for most police departments, invasion of privacy, exposing

victims, and affect the safety, mental and physical health of police officers. One of the

most common worries is that using BWCs infringes on people’s privacy. Many groups

have claimed that recording individuals would be illegal under privacy regulations.

Before recording private conversations, two-party consent is necessary. This is true not

just for video, but also for audio recordings. (Beglau, 2017) There’s also a lot of concern

about the training and policies that will surround the technology’s use. While the initial

cost of equipment is a problem, training sessions will cost police agencies, and perhaps

taxpayers, a significant amount of money. The public who opposes the use of BWCs is

unlikely to pay for the technology out of their own pockets, which might strain the

relationship between law enforcement and the community further if legislation to

increase the tax on BWCs is considered. Concerns from the public have also been

raised about whether the technology will enable officers and police agencies to become

deceptive as a result of the control they may have over the cameras, such as selecting

what to record, when to record, and altering data. Many people feel that BWCs are just

another way for law enforcement to game the system. Those opposed to the use of

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BWCs in law enforcement have said that “body-worn cameras start from a position of

mistrust,” and that wearing a camera does not immediately generate a sense of trust

between police officers and members of the public. (BJA, 2015)

1.4 Research Objectives

This focus of this research is to know the things to consider in wearing body-worn

cameras and its effectiveness in preventing the use of force. Specific objectives of this

research are:

 To be able to know the advantages and disadvantages of the use of body-worn

cameras.

 To be able to know the factors affecting the efficiency of the body-worn cameras

on preventing police brutality.

 To be able to see how effective the implementation of body-worn cameras in

preventing police brutality.

References

Beglau, D. A. (2017). The Use and Implementation of Body-Worn Cameras in

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Bolledo, J. (2021, June 5). After 4 years, PNP finally deploys body-worn cameras.
Rappler. Retrieved September 19, 2021, from
https://www.rappler.com/nation/pnp-deploys-body-worn-cameras-june-2021.

Buan, L. (2021, July 10). Cops now required to wear body cameras when serving
warrants. Rappler. Retrieved September 19, 2021, from
https://www.rappler.com/nation/malfunction-reasonable-grounds-can-excuse-
police-supreme-court-body-camera-rule.

Chapman, B. (2018, November 14). Body-worn cameras: What the evidence tells
Us. National Institute of Justice. Retrieved October 10, 2021, from
https://nij.ojp.gov/topics/articles/body-worn-cameras-what-evidence-tells-us.

Talorong, A. D., Genova, E. T., Gimotea, M. E. G., & Ordonio, A. D. (2018). Police
Officers’ Attitudes of Body-Worn Camera. Journal of Fisheries and Social
Development (JOFSD), 10(1).

Procon.org. (2021, June 15). Police body cameras: Top 3 pros and cons.
ProCon.org. Retrieved October 10, 2021, from
https://www.procon.org/headlines/police-body-cameras-top-3-pros-and-cons/.

Miller, Lindsay, Jessica Toliver, and Police Executive Research Forum, 2014.
Implementing a Body-Worn Camera Program: Recommendations and
Lessons Learned. Washington, DC: Office of Community Oriented Policing
Services.

White, Michael D. (2014). Police officer body-worn cameras: Assessing the

Body-Worn Camera Toolkit. (2015). Bureau of Justice Assistance: U.S.

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