It's been a year since West Lafayette police started using body cameras, and the results are dramatic, West Lafayette Police Chief Jason Dombkowski said.
In 2013 — the year before the small cameras debuted at the department — officers used force in 29 incidents, Dombkowski said. In 2014 — when officers did not wear body cameras for three-quarters of the year — officers used force in 20 incidents.
By comparison, West Lafayette officers have used force seven times this year, Dombkowski said.
That's a very low number of use of force for a department that responds to nearly 30,000 calls a year, the chief said.
"That's very common, very indicative of the effects of a body camera program," Dombkowski said of the drop in use of force, citing research the department did before adopting the cameras last year. "People ... act differently when they think they're being recorded."
The cameras provide transparency, accountability and documentation.
If a person files a complaint, there is a video record of the incident.
By the time West Lafayette police adopted the body cameras, officers knew that whenever they were on scene, especially in the village area, someone likely was recording them. Typically, those bystander videos only catch part of the interaction between police and the public.