Home > Law > DePaul Law Review > Vol. 75 > Iss. 2
Abstract
The extensive and rapid roll out of body cameras across
American police forces in the past decades was intended to improve
issues of accountability and transparency in policing. Trust and
perceptions of fairness of police are shaped, in large part, by how
one is treated by officers and departments—the fundamental
interpersonal work of procedural justice. This Article reviews
findings on public and police support for body cameras, as well as
research connecting body cameras to perceptions of procedural
justice. It then elaborates on past research with a vignette
experiment, aimed at isolating the unique and interactive effects of
just policies, fair police interactions, and camera presence on
perceptions of police fairness. Results indicate that fair
interpersonal interactions are more impactful than camera presence
in shifting police perceptions. Further, the fairness and openness of
police policies creates an important framework by which cameras
shift perceptions. Cameras can serve a useful role, but only within a
broader system in which departments and officers interact with
members of the public in fair, transparent ways.
Recommended Citation
Yael Granot,
Procedural Justice and Body Worn Cameras,
75
DePaul L. Rev.
(2026).
Available at:
https://via.library.depaul.edu/law-review/vol75/iss2/14
