b'confirming theories about the impactscomplaint rates as evidence that BWC- in different ways and at different rates BWCs may have on police work (Cubittequipped officers do better work andthan officers conducting regular street et al., 2017; Lum et al., 2020; Lum etare therefore less likely to receive apatrols (Gaub et al., 2020). The same al., 2019). complaint. Alternatively, others inter- studies have shown that BWC use can Understanding the impacts of BWCspret these findings as evidence thatincrease over time as officers become requiresstudiesexaminingseveralBWC-equipped officers, knowing thataccustomed to activating the camera interrelatedtopics.Theseincludetheirworkwillbesubjecttovisual(Lawrence et al., 2019). Other studies how officers operate the technology,scrutiny, may be less likely to engagehave shown that BWC activation can iforganizationalpolicyandtrainingin aspects of police work if that work isdecrease over time, perhaps as officers protocolseffectivelyguideofficerslikely to elicit complaints (Rowe et al.,becomelessenthusiasticaboutthe useofthetechnologyandhowthe2018; Wallace et al., 2018). If researchtechnology and as training knowledge useofBWCsisrelatedtochangesconfirmsthelatterinterpretation,fades(Boivinetal.,2021).These inpolicework,suchasarrestrateslower complaint rates (or use of forcenuanced differences may explain why and use of force rates. Currently, therates) may be evidence of a so-calledthe impact of BWCs on use of force and research literature tends to focus onde-policingeffect,whereinBWCscompliance rates differ across studies thelatter:therelationshipbetweenleadtocamera-inducedpassivityand why more consistent conclusions the use of BWCs, reductions in the useon the part of some officers (Adamsabout the impact of BWCs have yet to of force, and reductions in complaints& Mastracci, 2019; Mac Donald, 2017;be reached. (Lum et al., 2020; Lum et al., 2019).Wallace et al., 2018).Our Body-Worn Camera Research The most optimistic commentatorsWhat We Dont Know About BWCs Ourresearchstudyispremisedon have framed BWCs as a cure-all toWhenlookingforexplanationsfortherealizationthat,tounderstand problems of police brutality and highdifferent and sometimes contradictorythe impact of BWCs on police work, ratesofcomplaintsagainstpoliceresearch findings, many scholars pointthecomplex,discretionarydecisions (Malm, 2019; White & Malm, 2020).to variances in the rate and the qualitymadebytheofficersoperatingthe Manyofthesecommentatorsrefer- ofBWCuseamongofficers(Ariel,camerasmustbeexamined.These ence a now-famous study conducted2016).Thisisnotsurprisinggivendecisionsincludenotonlyif/when withtheRialtoPoliceDepartment,that most BWCs rely on manual acti- toturnthecameraon,butalso which concluded that the use of BWCsvation, where the individual officerdecisions about how BWCs are aimed wascorrelatedwithasignificantultimately decides when the BWC willandhowfootageiscollected.We drop in use of force rates and com- be activated, where it will be aimedrecognize that BWCs do not produce plaintrates.TheRialtostudymadeand what it will record (Boivin et al.,objectiveorcompleteaccountsof headlines throughout North America,2021; Roy, 2014; Zamoff, 2019).police-citizen interactions. Rather, the significantly increasing the hype sur- To guide the effective and appro- technologies favour the perspective of rounding BWCs (Schneider, 2018).priateuseofBWCsinabroaderthe officers wearing them (McKay & To confirm the Rialto studys find- context of dynamic and often highlyLee, 2019), as the technology literally ings,additionalrandomizedcontroldiscretionarydecision-making,policerecords from an officers point of view studieshavebeenconductedacrossserviceshavedevelopedtraining(Koslicki, 2019). NorthAmerica.Whilesomestudiesprograms and operational policies toAccordingly, our research examines have found that BWC use can indeeddirectBWCuse.However,researchnot only the decision to turn the BWC reduceuseofforceandcomplaintonactivationcompliance(whenaon,butalsorelateddecisionsabout rates (Ariel et al., 2015; Groff et al.,BWC is turned on or off) shows thatwhere to stand while recording, from 2019; Henstock & Ariel, 2017), otherdespite these programs and policies,what angle to record, what elements studieshaveinsteadshownlittleBWC use can differ significantly fromof a police-citizen interaction will be tonochangeinuseofforcerates,officer to officer (Ariel, 2016; Boivinrecorded, as well as decisions about and still other studies have found anet al., 2021; Lawrence et al., 2019).when a BWC will be turned off. Such increase in use of force rates amongForexample,somestudieshavedecisionswillinfluencewhatvideo BWC-equippedofficers(Arieletal.,shownthatactivationcompliancefootage is ultimately created and how 2016;Lumetal.,2020;Lumetal.,ratescanvaryfrom0percentusethe footage will be used to understand 2019).Further,eventhosestudiesto100percentuse(Lawrenceetaparticularpolice-citizeninteraction that have found a reduction in use ofal., 2019).(Miranda, 2021).force and complaint rates have comeManyofthesestudieshavealsoBy shining light onto these uncer-to different and sometimes conflictingfound that activation compliance cantainties, our study will not only reveal conclusions about how.dependonthetypeofpoliceworkhow BWCs are operated by Canadian For example, some scholars inter- beingconducted.Officersinspecial- police officers (the bulk of the litera-pret research showing a decrease inized units, for example, may use BWCsture discussed above is grounded in 20 H.Q. Winter 2021/22'