Cops, Cameras, and Crisis: The Potential and the Perils of Police Body-Worn Cameras

2021 Outstanding Academic Title, Choice Magazine

The first expert and comprehensive analysis of the surprising impact of body-worn cameras

Following the tragic deaths of Eric Garner, Michael Brown, and others at the hands of police, interest in body-worn cameras for local, state, and federal law enforcement has skyrocketed. In Cops, Cameras, and Crisis, Michael D. White and Aili Malm provide an up-to-date analysis of this promising technology, evaluating whether it can address today’s crisis in police legitimacy.

Drawing on the latest research and insights from experts with field experience with police-worn body cameras, White and Malm show the benefits and drawbacks of this technology for police departments, police officers, and members of the public. Ultimately, they identify-and assess-each claim, weighing in on whether the specter of being caught on tape is capable of changing a criminal justice system desperately in need of reform.

Cops, Cameras, and Crisis is a must-read for policymakers, police leaders, and activists interested in twenty-first-century policing.