Whose Interests Are At Heart?: Understanding Police Subculture and Officer Perceptions of Body-Worn Cameras in San Diego County

Police body-worn cameras have been implemented across the country in hopes of providing transparency and accountability of law enforcement officers. This research explores whose interests are being served by the use of body-worn cameras by law enforcement officers in San Diego County while also looking into how body-worn cameras are addressing the militaristic subculture of the institution of law en-forcement. Current literature focuses on police subculture, the Age of Ferguson, and the benefits and limitations of body-worn cameras. Critical Race Theory and Fou-cault’s theory of the panopticon are used to inform the findings. Data was triangulated through interviews, ride-along observations, and primary document analyses. Find-ings suggest that police perceptions and use of body-worn cameras reinforced a mili-taristic subculture due to the lack of overall resources and training as well as the con-tinued use of discretion.