Police Department

Citizen Survey on Body Cameras in Spokane Produces Positive Results

Ofc. Teresa Fuller, 509.835.4568, tfuller@spokanepolice.org

Wednesday, April 20, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.

The Spokane Police Department is excited to release the first set of results of a survey conducted by Arizona State University on the impact on citizens of the body worn camera program. Of the citizens surveyed who had direct interactions with officers in the Spokane Police Department, 82.6% of respondents agreed/strongly agreed that the officer acted professionally. The survey also found citizens were satisfied with how they were treated during the encounter.

The survey is part of research being conducted by Arizona State University's Center for Violence Prevention and Community Safety on body-worn cameras. Professor Michael D. White’s study is entitled: “Assessing the Impact and Consequences of Police Officer Body-Worn Cameras: A Multi-Site Randomized Controlled Trial.” The two-year study began in March 2015.

The survey gathered attitudes about the encounter among the 249 respondents who had direct interactions with Spokane police officers. Citizens were equally supportive of the Department's body-worn camera program. Table 3 (see attachment) shows that respondents were satisfied with how they were treated during the encounter, as well as how the situation was resolved. Citizens’ agreement on the procedural justice aspects of the encounter exceeded 80% for three of the four items that make up the measure: officer treated you with respect (81.9%), officer treated you fairly (81.6%), officer was honest (83.5%), and the officer listened carefully to what you had to say (74.5%).

Procedural justice refers to the idea of fairness in the processes that resolve disputes and allocate resources. It is a concept that, when embraced, promotes positive organizational change, bolsters good relations with the community, and enhances officer safety. The four prongs of procedural justice are fairness, impartiality, giving voice, and transparency.

“The study clearly demonstrates that the citizens we interviewed were very satisfied with their encounter with a Spokane police officer. The vast majority of citizens agreed they were treated in a procedurally just manner: the officer listened; the officer treated them fairly and with respect; and the officer was honest.” Said Mike White, Associate Director, Center for Violence Prevention and Community Safety at Arizona State University. “The findings reflect positively on the Spokane Police Department, their relationship with the community, and their efforts to achieve police legitimacy through procedurally just encounters with citizens.”

The below link is Spokane Police body camera footage showing procedural justice in action during a call that deals with an individual in mental health crisis.

Officer Valencia Mental Health video 16-120007

Please note that your access to this link will expire on July 13, 2016 08:42:52 (-07:00).

Download link

Related Documents

• Results from Citizen Survey Research (PDF 487 KB)

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