Cops behind the lenses: Lived experiences of police officers wearing body-worn cameras during police operations
Lynn Grace M. Retiza, Nicholas S. Caballero & Wilfredo O. De La Cruz Jr.
Abstract
Crime and abuse of power are rampant nowadays; police departments globally are resorting to modern equipment, including body-worn cameras. The widespread and growing adoption regarding the effectiveness of body-worn cameras is uncertain; based on random interviews, many cases are dismissed because of improper use of body-worn cameras. This study aimed to explore the experiences of police officers wearing body-worn cameras during police operations in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental, Philippines, utilizing the qualitative approach and phenomenological research design. Eight pieces of information were gathered from Police Officers of Police Stations 1, 2, and 4 of Bacolod City through in-depth interviews and Focused Group discussions (FGD). Four themes were formulated as to the experiences and strategies of the police officers wearing body-worn cameras during police operations, namely: competence affects performance, technical problems invalidate actions and technology ensures credibility and self-familiarization, and pro-action. The difficulties encountered by police officers who wear body-worn cameras during police operations commonly arise from the implementation and operation of body-worn cameras, allowing them to develop strategies such as self-familiarization and pro-action to achieve their objectives. It is necessary to improve both the device and training to be provided for police officers, particularly those who are assigned to wear a body-worn camera during police operations, to maximize their performance output.
Keywords
buy-bust operation, entrapment, device, intelligence, technology, surveillance
Author information & Contribution
Lynn Grace M. Retiza. Corresponding author. BS Criminology. STI West Negros University. Lynngraceretiza@wnu.sti.edu.ph
Nicholas S. Caballero. Doctor of Philosophy in Criminal Justice with Specialization in Criminology. Dean CCJE, STI West Negros University. Email: nicholascaballero@wnu.sti.edu.ph
Wilfredo O. De La Cruz Jr. Masters in Criminology Major in Forensic Science. CCJE Faculty, STI West Negros University. Email: delacruzwilfjr@gmail.com
"All authors equally contributed to the conception, design, preparation, data gathering and analysis, and writing of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript."
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Funding
This work was not supported by any funding.
Declaration
The author declares the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in writing this paper. In particular, the author used AI tools, such as ChaGPT for correcting sentence construction, grammar, and syntax, and Grammarly for thorough grammar checks, have been employed to ensure the accuracy and clarity of the content. The author takes full responsibility in ensuring proper review and editing of contents generated using AI.
Notes
This paper is presented in the 5th ICMIAR 2025.
Acknowledgement
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Cite this article:
Retiza, L.G.M., Caballero, N.S., & De La Cruz, W.O. (2025). Cops behind the lenses: Lived experiences of police officers wearing body-worn cameras during police operations. The Research Probe, 5(2), 56-72. https://doi.org/10.53378/trp.194
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