Body Worn Cameras: Helping the Ghana Police Service Tell Their Version of The Story

Ogochukwu C. Nweke, Smita Francis

School of Policing and Law Enforcement, STADIO

This research explores the value of body-worn cameras (BWCs) in reporting the facts objectively and refuting allegations made against the police. This closes a gap in the currently available literature, which mostly highlights accountability and transparency. The study investigates how BWCs can contribute to clearing law enforcement officers of false charges and providing more balanced accounts in tense interactions, particularly on social media platforms. By assessing the extent to which BWCs influence the resolution of complaints against officers and identifying challenges related to their implementation and use in storytelling, the study recognises that while BWCs offer valuable visual and audio documentation, they are not an absolute solution to all evidentiary concerns. It makes use of information from the Ghana Police Service's Ashanti Regional Command as well as relevant secondary sources to investigate the study on ground. BWCSs improve accountability and openness, especially by refuting false narratives on social media. It makes use of information from the Ghana Police Service's Ashanti Regional Command to demonstrate the advantages and difficulties of BWC in telling the story. BWCs improve police operations by boosting accountability and openness, especially by refuting false allegations made in social media narratives. To maximize the success of BWCs, the results highlight the significance of strong policies, ongoing training, and infrastructure investment. Overall, the study shows that although BWCs have great potential to modernize law enforcement and enhance public trust, privacy concerns and other implementation issues must be addressed for their successful adoption.

Article link: https://www.asianinstituteofresearch.org/JSParchives/body-worn-cameras%3A-helping-the-ghana-police-service-tell-their-version-of-the-story