This study assessed the early deployment of the Anaheim Police Department’s body-worn camera (BWC) program in 2015 by examining camera activations across officers, trends in activations over time, and how different police–community contacts predict BWC activations. These were assessed with correlational analyses among 40 BWC-equipped officers in the first 6 months of their use. Activation of the BWCs among officers varied widely, with 6-month average activations ranging from 0% to 72%. Average activation rates increased over time from 3% to 54%. Officers disproportionately activated their cameras for events related to crimes; for example, activation rates for other categories were significantly lower compared to violent crimes, with odds ratios ranging from 0.148 to 0.663. The article concludes with a discussion on how the failure to activate a BWC limits the potential benefits of the technology. While officers have considerable discretion on when to activate their BWCs, law enforcement agencies must not only train and deploy BWCs among their officers but also audit and supervise individual use to ensure successful BWC programs.
The use of DNA testing as part of police investigative work has increased substantially since its emergence in the 1980s. The objective of this Campbell systematic review has been to synthesize the existing evidence on the effectiveness of DNA testing as part of routine police investigative practices compared to other more traditional forms of investigation.
We have identified five studies that clearly addressed the effectiveness of DNA testing as part of a criminal investigation to improve criminal justice system outcomes. The evidence suggests that DNA testing has positive value when used to investigate a broad range of crime types. There are caveats. Other than a methodologically sound evaluation in five U.S. jurisdictions, the evidence of the utility of DNA testing for serious violent crimes is based on studies with clear methodological weaknesses.
Synopsis
The use of DNA testing as part of police investigative work has increased substantially since its emergence in the 1980s. The objective of this review has been to synthesize the existing evidence on the effectiveness of DNA testing as part of routine police investigative practices compared to other more traditional forms of investigation. We have identified five studies that clearly addressed the effectiveness of DNA testing as part of a criminal investigation to improve criminal justice system outcomes. The evidence suggests that DNA testing has positive value when used to investigate a broad range of crime types. There are caveats. Other than a methodologically sound evaluation in five U.S. jurisdictions, the evidence of the utility of DNA testing for serious violent crimes is based on studies with clear methodological weaknesses.
Abstract
BACKGROUNDThe use of DNA testing as part of police investigative work has increased substantially since its emergence in the 1980s. Initially used primarily in serious cases, such as homicides and rapes, recent use has expanded to include additional crimes, such as property offenses. The science behind the accuracy of DNA testing is substantial. With the growth of DNA databases, the possibility of comparing DNA evidence collected from a crime scene against a DNA database to identify suspects has become feasible. An important empirical question is whether wide scale use of DNA testing as part of routine police investigative practices will improve case outcomes.
OBJECTIVESThe objective of this review has been to synthesize existing evidence on the effectiveness of DNA testing as part of routine police investigative practices compared to other more traditional forms of investigation.
SEARCH CRITERIAWe were inclusive with respect to research design, including both experimental RCT designs and observational or quasi‐experimental studies. All studies must have provided an estimate of the effect of DNA testing (yes/no or degree of) as part of the investigative phase of a criminal case on a criminal justice system outcome, such as the identification of a suspect or a conviction.
SELECTION STRATEGYWe searched 35 electronic data...
Forensic science has played an increasingly important role in the investigation of crimes. We argue in this paper that, in addition to bench science, field experimentation involving forensic methods is critical to properly assess the relative utility of various methods of solving crimes. We illustrate this point by summarizing the findings from a recent Campbell Collaboration systematic review of field studies of the effectiveness of DNA testing. Our search identified five studies, including one randomized-controlled-trial of the value of DNA testing in burglary cases. The findings generally support the value of DNA testing for police investigations, particularly for high volume crimes such as burglary, although most of the empirical evidence is methodologically weak. Additional work is clearly needed, not only with respect to DNA testing but other forensic methods as well.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.