Technology Webinar

On August 28, 2019, the BWC TTA provider hosted a webinar on the evidentiary value of body-worn camera (BWC) footage. This webinar focused on the perspectives and experiences of Assistant District Attorneys (ADAs) and Public Defenders (PDs) about the role BWC video footage plays in their respective work streams. This webinar also described several benefits and disadvantages of the use of BWCs in a court of law, focusing on the context of time, expectations, and anticipated consequences.

On June 18, 2019 the Body-Worn Camera (BWC) Training and Technical Assistance (TTA) Team presented a webinar titled “BWC 201: Growing and Sustaining Your BWC Program”. This webinar focused on sustaining and growing BWC programs after the first year of implementation and after receiving approval of the BWC policy development process. During this webinar, panelists discussed succession planning and annual considerations for ensuring a successful BWC program and the inclusion of stakeholders throughout the BWC program.

This webinar served as an orientation to the FY18 Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) Body-Worn Camera Policy and Implementation Program. The intent of this grant program is to help agencies develop, implement, and manage a BWC program as one tool in a law enforcement agency’s comprehensive problem-solving approach to enhance officer interactions with the public, combat crime, and build community trust.

Integration of BWC and CAD systems can provide agencies with more streamlined information. During this webinar, participants got a chance to hear from sites who discussed their experiences with integrating CAD data into their BWC systems, the challenges they faced in combining both systems, the benefits they have experienced, and lessons learned for other agencies looking to do the same. Participants were able to gain a better understanding of this technology as well as the potential best practices to follow when integrating these technologies. 

This webinar examined several issues related to regional approaches to BWC program design and implementation, including the benefits from a regional approach, compromises that will likely need to be made, and planning considerations. The webinar featured a brief presentation on general issues regarding regional models in law enforcement, presentations from several BWC PIP sites that have successfully implemented regional BWC programs, and provided an overview of the key considerations that agencies should attend to during the planning phase of a regional BWC implementation.

This webinar focused on the use of BWCs beyond the police patrol function. In addition to police patrol functions, BWCs are being implemented in a variety of contexts including in courtrooms, city services agencies, schools, and university settings. During this webinar, BWC TTA Partner, Arizona State University (ASU), reviewed the findings from their report on the use of body-worn cameras in environments outside of the law enforcement setting.

Implementing body-worn cameras in a police agency has an impact on virtually every key aspect of police operations, including training. With the growing adoption of body-worn cameras, the need for effective law enforcement training is paramount to help ensure that officers have the necessary knowledge and tools to confront the difficult tasks they encounter on a daily basis. This webinar discusses a list of considerations and resources presented by our panelist that will serve as helpful information in support of this challenge. In addition Dr.

This webinar, hosted by BWC TTA partner, Arizona State University (ASU), reviewed the findings from their recently released report on the use of body-worn cameras in specialized units. This webinar also included representatives from local law enforcement agencies who described their experiences in implementing BWCs in non-patrol units.