Lights, Cameras, Action: A Mixed Methods Analysis of Police Perceptions of Citizens who Video Record Officers in the Line of Duty in the United States

Abstract

There have been several high profile cases in the U.S. where officers have encountered and taken legal action against civilians who were video recording them. Officers are likely to develop preconceptions of citizens who record them and these views can considerably influence police-civilian interactions, especially in the presence of recording devices. This study was designed to explore the officers' views of being recorded in the line of duty and their understanding of the reasons why civilians would want to record them. Officers generally expressed their discontent with civilians who record and the more officers were bothered by being recorded, the more they justified taking actions against civilians who record. These findings have implications for training techniques and practices to reduce animosity between police and the video recording public.