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6.D. - Page 7 of 179 According to a 2012 nationwide survey conducted by Taser,4 a majority of police officers believe that there is a need for body -worn cameras.5 The survey included 785 federal, state, and local law enforcement professionals. According to Doug Wyllie, PoliceOne Editor in Chief, "perhaps the most important single piece of data was that more than 85% of respondents believe that body -worn cameras reduce false claims of police misconduct, and reduce the likelihood of litigation against the agency.116 A surprising statistic in the survey relates to the perceived effectiveness of body -worn cameras versus in -car systems, with 77% of officers saying they think the body -worn solution is more effective. 7 A 2015 study conducted by the University of South Florida with the Orlando Police Department reported that "most officers felt that their agency should adopt body -worn cameras for all front-line officers and reported that they would feel comfortable wearing a body -worn camera.8 A commonly cited indicator of body cameras' potential to reduce instances of officer -civilian conflict is the "Rialto Study." In Rialto, a small city outside of Los Angeles, the police department outfitted all 70 of their uniformed officers with body -worn cameras, theorizing that use of the cameras would reduce complaints and lawsuits, and accordingly also reduce expensive litigation costs, as well as settlements and payouts.9 The introduction of body -worn cameras in Rialto as standard equipment in 2012 led to an 88% reduction in public complaints against officers, and a 60% decline in officers' use of force. This dramatic reduction in the use of force indicates that body -worn cameras may have had a moderating effect on officers' behavior, as the presence of a camera appeared to drastically lower the frequency with which officers "resorted to the use of physical force—including the use of OC spray (`pepper spray'), batons, Tasers, firearms, or canine bites."10 Showing citizen interactions from the officer's perspective to the community at large has resulted in a reduced rate of public complaints.11 Based on its investigation, including its 4 Taser is a manufacturer of body -worn cameras and related law enforcement equipment. See https://www.taser.com/. 5 Doug Wyllie, Survey: Police Officers Want Body -Worn Cameras, October 23, 2012. PoliceOne. http://www.policeone. com/police-products/body-cameras/articles/6017774-Survey-Police-officers-want-body-worn- cameras/. 6 Ibid. 7 Ibid. 8 Evaluating the Impact of Police Officer Body -Worn Cameras (BWCs): The Orlando Police Department (OPD) Experience. http://media.cmgdigital.com/shared/news/documents/2015/10/09/OPD-Final-Report-Executive- Summary-10-6-15.pdf. 9 The Effect of Police Body -Worn Cameras on Use of Force and Citizens' Complaints against the Police: A Randomized Controlled Trial Original Paper, Journal of Quantitative Criminology, September 2015, Volume 31, Issue 3, pp. 509-535. 10 PoliceOne Staff, S Ways Body -Worn Cameras Have Helped Police Officers: How Video from the Officer's Perspective Is Making Their Jobs Easier, September 30, 2014. PoliceOne. https: //www.policeone. com/police-productsibody-cameras/articles/7522310-5-ways-body-worn-cameras-have- helped-police-officers. 11 "Considering Police Body Cameras," Harvard Law Review 128.6 (April 10, 2015): 1794-802. http: //harvardlawreview. org/2015/04/considering-police-body-cameras/. 2015-2016 San Mateo County Civil Grand Jury 46