‘Robocops’ in the making: Reframing police–citizen interactions through the lens of body-worn cameras

Holly Campeau*, Laura Keesman

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to JournalArticleAcademicpeer-review

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Abstract

This paper examines new meanings that police–citizen interactions take on when officers make sense of them through the lens of body-worn cameras (BWCs). Drawing on 30 interviews with frontline police officers in a large Canadian city, we analyse the embodied character of BWCs to show how officers reframe their role and the subtleties of their approach in dealing with the public as more robotic. First, the participants believe BWCs curb their ability to build rapport with citizens, and therefore dehumanize interactions. Second, they report a need to operate more mechanically to follow protocol for case-building and use-of-force. Still, 100 per cent of participants remain in favour of BWC use—in an era of high visibility and pressure for accountability, video recording technology offers protection.
Original languageEnglish
Article numberazad059
Pages (from-to)744-760
Number of pages17
JournalBritish Journal of Criminology
Volume64
Issue number3
Early online date4 Nov 2023
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - May 2024

Funding

This article draws on research supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.

FundersFunder number
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada

    Keywords

    • Policing
    • Body-worn cameras
    • Embodiment

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