Video evidence in policing is increasingly common. Body-worn cameras, dashcams, and surveillance videos are powerful tools for accountability, transparency, and fighting crime. While video is helpful to law enforcement, the profession needs to innovate how to explain it.

There are a number of benefits to using video evidence in policing. First, video of an incident can be strong evidence of a suspect’s guilt or innocence. Second, it can help address issues that may need to be improved upon or praised within an organization. Third, video evidence can help build trust between police and the community. When the public knows that their interactions with the police are being recorded, they are more likely to feel that they are being treated fairly. Fourth, when there is a disagreement about what happened during an interaction between an officer and a member of the public, video evidence can be used to provide clarity.

Like any good tool, video evidence comes with its own unique set of challenges and limitations, requiring a strategy for handling it. Without explanation, the implications for letting the video speak for itself can have negative outcomes in some circumstances.