Best Practices for Your Body Worn Camera Audit Program
Implementing a body worn camera program is a great first step to improving a law enforcement agency, but it's just a start. Conducting audits gives agencies visibility into
officer performance and shows a commitment to transparency, accountability, and continuous improvement, and should be a part of any BWC program.
Why are BWC audits important?
Audits are a natural evolution for an organization once they implement body worn cameras
A lot of data is captured on BWCs but without looking at them, the opportunity to recognize good work, along with teachable moments, can be missed
Audits provide the opportunity to show external stakeholders that the agency is committed to improvement and holding themselves accountable
Chief Thompson described his agency's practice for conduction BWC audits, with the caveat that this is what works for his agency and may not apply to others:
Audits need to have an element of randomization so that the officer didn't know which of their videos was going to be reviewed
Audits are conducted by the officer's sergeant, lieutenants also review the recordings of the sergeant as well as checking the officers' videos they audited