BWCs and Community Perceptions

Community Views of Milwaukee’s Police Body-Worn Camera Program

Source

The Urban Institute (2018) 

Authors

Daniel Lawrence, Bryce Peterson, and Paige Thompson

The Milwaukee Police Department’s body-worn camera (BWC) program began in October 2015 as a response to strained police relations in the city’s communities of color that were exacerbated by several highly public police shootings of black men in Milwaukee and across the country. The Urban Institute surveyed Milwaukee community members in April 2016, September 2017, and July 2018 about their attitudes toward the police department and its BWC program, as part of a rigorous, independent evaluation. This brief uses community survey data to examine how strongly community members from various racial and demographic groups believe MPD officers were respectful, as well as the role BWCs played in building community relations and holding officers accountable.

To read the full report, click here