The Milwaukee Police Department’s Body-Worn Camera Program: Evaluation Findings and Key Takeaways

This document reports on the Urban Institute’s evaluation of the Milwaukee Police Department’s (MPD) body-worn camera (BWC) program. The evaluation was conducted as a randomized controlled trial of 504 officers, although the phased rollout of the BWCs included all 1,100 of MPD’s patrol officers. The report describes the study’s methodology, provides an analysis of findings, and lists three key takeaways: officers who wore BWCs conducted fewer subject stops than those who did not receive the cameras; BWCs apparently reduced complaints against MPD officers; and BWCs showed no effect on whether the officers engaged in use of force during the study period.