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A body camera, bodycam, body worn video (BWV), body-worn camera, or wearable camera is a
wearable audio, video, or photographic recording system.
Body cameras have a range of uses and designs, of which the best-known use is as a part of
policing equipment. Other uses include
action camera
An action camera or action cam is a digital camera designed for recording action while being immersed in it. Action cameras are therefore typically compact and rugged, and waterproof at surface-level. They typically use CMOS image sensors, and ...
s for social and recreational (including
cycling
Cycling, also, when on a two-wheeled bicycle, called bicycling or biking, is the use of cycles for transport, recreation, exercise or sport. People engaged in cycling are referred to as "cyclists", "bicyclists", or "bikers". Apart from t ...
), within the world of
commerce
Commerce is the large-scale organized system of activities, functions, procedures and institutions directly and indirectly related to the exchange (buying and selling) of goods and services among two or more parties within local, regional, nation ...
, in
healthcare and
medical
Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care practic ...
use, in
military
A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. It is typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with its members identifiable by their distinct ...
use,
journalism
Journalism is the production and distribution of reports on the interaction of events, facts, ideas, and people that are the " news of the day" and that informs society to at least some degree. The word, a noun, applies to the occupation (pro ...
, citizen
sousveillance
Sousveillance ( ) is the recording of an activity by a member of the public, rather than a person or organisation in authority, typically by way of small wearable or portable personal technologies. The term, coined by Steve Mann, stems from th ...
and
covert surveillance.
Research on the impact of body-worn cameras in law enforcement shows mixed evidence as to the impact of cameras on the
use of force by law enforcement and communities' trust in police.
Designs
Body-worn cameras are often designed to be worn in one of three locations: on the
torso
The torso or trunk is an anatomical term for the central part, or the core, of the body of many animals (including humans), from which the head, neck, limbs, tail and other appendages extend. The tetrapod torso — including that of a huma ...
, on or built into a
helmet
A helmet is a form of protective gear worn to protect the head. More specifically, a helmet complements the skull in protecting the human brain. Ceremonial or symbolic helmets (e.g., a policeman's helmet in the United Kingdom) without protect ...
, and on or built into
glasses
Glasses, also known as eyeglasses or spectacles, are vision eyewear, with lenses (clear or tinted) mounted in a frame that holds them in front of a person's eyes, typically utilizing a bridge over the nose and hinged arms (known as temples ...
. Some feature
live streaming capabilities, such as GPS positioning, automatic offload to
cloud storage, while others are based on local storage. Some body-worn cameras offer automatic activation of the cameras with the ability to adhere to that agency's specific body camera recording policies. The National Criminal Justice Technology Research, Test, and Evaluation Center has conducted market surveys on body-worn cameras to assist organizations in purchasing the best camera. The survey discusses device functionality, optics, audio,
GPS
The Global Positioning System (GPS), originally Navstar GPS, is a satellite-based radionavigation system owned by the United States government and operated by the United States Space Force. It is one of the global navigation satellite sy ...
, and several more categories. These cameras range in price from 200 dollars to 2,000 dollars.
Applications
Law enforcement
![Body camera](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2b/Body_camera.jpg)
Wearable cameras are used by police and other
law enforcement
Law enforcement is the activity of some members of government who act in an organized manner to enforce the law by discovering, deterring, rehabilitating, or punishing people who violate the rules
Rule or ruling may refer to:
Education ...
organizations in countries around the world. The cameras are intended to improve interactions between officers and the public. The first generation of 'modern' police body cameras was introduced around 2005 in the United Kingdom, followed from 2014 onwards by large-scale implementation in the United States, mainly to increase transparency and
police accountability
Police accountability involves holding both individual police officers, as well as law enforcement agencies responsible for effectively delivering basic services of crime control and maintaining order, while treating individuals fairly and with ...
. Early studies showed positive results, but replications have led to mixed findings. Outcomes have been shown to differ depending on the local context and the guidelines regulating activation of the body cams. Challenges include training, privacy, storage and the use of recordings further 'downstream' in the judicial system. A
systematic review assessed the available evidence on the effect of body-worn cameras in law enforcement on police and citizen behavior. They found that body-worn cameras may not substantially impact officer or citizen behavior and that effects on use of force and arrest activities are inconsistent and non-significant. Research suggests no clear effects of body-worn cameras in terms of citizen behavior such as calls to police and resisting arrest. Subsequent analysis of the research affirms these mixed findings and draws attention to how the design of many evaluations fails to account for local context or citizen perspectives.
Body- worn cameras have become one of the biggest costs for townships, cities, and agencies for police, costing millions of dollars. The main reason for the growth of body-worn cameras is a direct result of the publicizing of events over the past decade, where Caucasian police offers have killed unarmed Black civilians. The main place where body- worn cameras have become more popular, is in low-researched environments, because the main driving reason for BWC becoming so popular was due to public protest.
Body worn cameras by police, was not only a popular development in the United States, but also by those in England and Whales, and there, it's not a new discovery. The overall outcome and reactions to these cameras have been positive, but there has been no proof of how these BWC have had impacts on the actions and reactions of the police wearing them.
Firefighting
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Firefighters use helmet cameras as a tool to assess fires and for communication and training purposes. Cameras in this occupation are often thermal cameras in order to be able to see in darkness and inside smoke-filled buildings.
Augmented reality (AR) can be added to accentuate outlines of objects and people.
Healthcare
Body worn video has been suggested and explored in the medical field. Data recorded from wearable cameras can assist in medical research and limit error caused by inaccurate
self-reporting of data. It is speculated that under-reporting is common when conducting dietary and nutrition assessments. Research suggests body worn video reduces under-reporting of intake during such assessments. Cameras can
emoved the words for examplebe used as a memory prosthetic for conditions that affect the memory. In 2013,
Google Glass
Google Glass, or simply Glass, is a brand of smart glasses developed and sold by Google. It was developed by X (previously Google X), with the mission of producing an ubiquitous computer. Google Glass displays information to the wearer using ...
was used to assist in surgery by providing a mostly hands-free way to broadcast and receive consultation from another surgeon. Body cameras were provided to hospital staff by the Cardiff and Vale Health Board in Wales, United Kingdom. The cameras were issued to reduce the likelihood of violent assaults against staff. According to the manager who provides support to staff who have been attacked, the cameras – and especially the audio recording – have been vital for successful prosecutions.
Body cameras can be used to make in impact in the mental health world. While there is only currently minimal evidence on the effects that body cameras have in a mental health setting in reference to violence within patience, the technology points towards lower numbers of complaints from the public that are happening, although the exact evidence isn't crystal clear.
Military combat
![Kunar river Noorgal district in Afghanistan's Konar province](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/98/Kunar_river_Noorgal_district_in_Afghanistan%27s_Konar_province.jpg)
Body worn cameras, as well as helmet cameras are used in the military. Video can either be stored locally, or streamed back to a command center or military outpost. A notable instance of this was
the raid on Osama Bin Laden's compound, where live video footage of the raid is believed to have been streamed to the White House. In 2013,
Royal Marine
The Corps of Royal Marines (RM), also known as the Royal Marines Commandos, are the UK's special operations capable commando force, amphibious light infantry and also one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy. The Corps of Royal Marine ...
Alexander Blackman was
convicted of murder for killing a captive
Taliban
The Taliban (; ps, طالبان, ṭālibān, lit=students or 'seekers'), which also refers to itself by its state name, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a Deobandi Islamic fundamentalist, militant Islamist, jihadist, and Pasht ...
insurgent; footage from incident, recorded on a helmet camera, was used in Blackman's
court-martial. The conviction was overturned in 2017 and reduced to
manslaughter on the grounds of
diminished responsibility
In criminal law, diminished responsibility (or diminished capacity) is a potential defense by excuse by which defendants argue that although they broke the law, they should not be held fully criminally liable for doing so, as their mental func ...
with Blackman being released from jail. The
helmet camera
A helmet camera, otherwise known as a micro video camera, is an action camera, usually a closed circuit television camera, attached to a helmet allowing someone to make a visual record from their point of view ( POV), while keeping their hands and ...
has been the focus of the
Discovery Channel series ''
Taking Fire'' about the
101st Airborne
The 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) ("Screaming Eagles") is a light infantry division of the United States Army that specializes in air assault operations. It can plan, coordinate, and execute multiple battalion-size air assault operati ...
in the
Korengal
''Korengal'' is a 2014 documentary about the War in Afghanistan directed by Sebastian Junger. It picks up where the film '' Restrepo'' (2010) left off, taking the viewer deeper into the experiences of the soldiers of Second Platoon, Battle Company ...
documenting their personal war footage. In 2016 "a camera recovered from the helmet of a dead fighter offers a contrasting picture of chaos and panic in a battle with Kurdish peshmerga."
Retail
Body cameras may be worn by retail workers to deter against abusive or threatening behavior by customers.
Retail workers are looking for ways to solve issues when it comes to dealing with criminal behavior, while also making the staff feel safer and more comfortable when working.
Body cameras have become part of police officers everyday uniforms, by police in the Unites States. They have been initiated to help with regualting and inforcing laws in their everyday work, by recording while they are on their shift.
Privacy concerns
Concerns over
privacy have been raised with this technology, most notably in the context of
Google Glasses and
policing. The advent of
large-scale data collection, possibly in combination with
facial recognition and other technologies capable of interpreting videos in bulk, means that all cameras, including body worn cameras, could create a means of tracking people anywhere they go. In policing, critics have warned that each police officer could become a "roving surveillance camera" Issues involving privacy concerns continue as new technologies are presented to law enforcement but the government has had ways of masking the technologies from the public and in some cases, even the police. Police will interact with citizens during vulnerable moments,
such as in a hospital, or in a domestic violence situation. Concerns have also been raised that this algorithms not only infringe on privacy rights, but could also be ethnically biased.
The
American Civil Liberties Union
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1920 "to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every person in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States". T ...
,has suggested policies to balance citizen's rights with the desire for more transparency and accountability.
Discourse of police body cameras
The discussion of police officer wearing body cameras has been a debate for years, as many police officers started wearing body cameras around 2014. Not everyone agrees with the use of body cameras but they have become beneficial in the case of collecting valuable information related to a crime being committed. At the same time, the privacy of citizens can be compromised by body cameras potentially exposing them to unwanted publicity. The accountability of police is increased as they use body cameras to ensure the protection of the public against police misconduct. A further discussion of police body cameras occurs because the improvements need to be done within the law enforcement system that requires police behavior to change. After that, new technologies can be implemented to help increase the accountability of police.
See also
*
Helmet camera
A helmet camera, otherwise known as a micro video camera, is an action camera, usually a closed circuit television camera, attached to a helmet allowing someone to make a visual record from their point of view ( POV), while keeping their hands and ...
*
Sousveillance
Sousveillance ( ) is the recording of an activity by a member of the public, rather than a person or organisation in authority, typically by way of small wearable or portable personal technologies. The term, coined by Steve Mann, stems from th ...
*
Shooting of Jamarion Robinson
*
Refcam
A Refcam (also known as Referee cam or Umpire cam) is a special type of broadcast point-of-view camera used in sports and worn by a referee or umpire during the game.
=Usage=
Refcams are being used in various sports like american football, ice ...
References
External links
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{{Authority control
Portable electronics
Video