Body-Worn Camera Site Spotlight: Jonesboro, Arkansas

• NCJ Number: 305299
• Date Published: May 2022
• Length: 5 pages
• Grant Number(s): 2015-DE-BX-K002
• Agencies: BJA-Sponsored
• Award: Body-Worn Camera Training and Technical Assistance Provider

Annotation

Jonesboro, Arkansas, is a city of 75,000 in the northeastern corner of the state, approximately 70 miles from Memphis, Tennessee. Located within one of the fastest growing counties in Arkansas, Jonesboro is home to Arkansas State University and its 13,000 students. In 2018, Jonesboro PD received a grant from the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) Body-Worn Camera Policy and Implementation Program (BWCPIP). According to Assistant Chief Lynn Waterworth, the decision to deploy BWCs came from Chief Rick Elliott’s concern over a breakdown in the relationship between the police department and the community, and [wanting] to re-establish that relationship. The Jonesboro PD also sought to enhance accountability and provide a greater degree of transparency to the community.

Abstract

Jonesboro is a city of 75,000 residents in the northeastern corner of the state. The Jonesboro Police Department (JPD) has 169 sworn officers and 33 full-time and part-time civilian employees. In 2018, the JPD received a grant from the U.S. Justice Department’s Bureau of Justice Assistance’s (BJA’s) Body-Worn Camera Policy and implementation Program (BWCPIP). According to this report, the grant request stemmed from the JPD Chief’s concern over “a breakdown in the relationship between the police department and the community and (wanting) to re-establish that relationship.” The centerpiece of the JPD BWC program is a strong internal review process in which first-line supervisors review officers’ BWC footage to monitor compliance with BWC policy and to assess officers’ performance. Front-line supervisors review at least one random incident per officer within a 30-day period, in addition to the BWC footage that they regularly review for all arrests, use of force, and citizen complaints.