Police Body Cameras: What are the obstacles to implementing their use, and what is their potential impact?

From the Abstract: Body worn video in a police environment is a relatively new technology. Because of the great potential value in its use, both police agencies and communities are exploring implementing programs. The devices can provide valuable evidence in criminal cases, reduce false complaints against officers and validate real ones, aid officers in report writing, provide valuable training footage for officers and civilians alike, and ultimately serve to improve the level of trust between a community and the agency that polices it. However, the use of body cameras is fraught with many obstacles to implementation, as well as challenges during use. These obstacles and challenges range from legal to labor to technological to social and practical. Ultimately, however, if these challenges can be overcome, the potential impact of police officers using body cameras as standard equipment is significant in the areas of evidence gathering, complaint resolution, training and building public trust.