Police and citizen perceptions of self-awareness and deterrent effects of body-worn cameras on police and citizen behaviour

While it is commonly assumed that the effects of body-worn cameras (BWCs) on police and citizen behaviour are driven by self-awareness and deterrence mechanisms, this assumption has not been empirically tested. This is the first study to examine the deterrence and self-awareness effects of BWCs – from both police and citizen perspectives – on police behaviour (procedural justice, use of force, police lawfulness) and citizen behaviour (specific compliance, general compliance, citizen complaints) within a causal framework. Survey data were collected from police officers (N = 131) across four agencies and randomly selected university students (N = 285). Structural equation modeling analyses indicated that respondents perceived police and citizen behaviour to be significantly influenced by the self-awareness and deterrent effects of BWCs, with the self-awareness effect mediated by deterrence. Policy implications are discussed.