A new book by Brandon University researcher Dr. Christopher J. Schneider explores how police body-worn cameras have reshaped public conversations about accountability, transparency, and police reform, often in ways that are more aspirational than evidentiary.
Dr. Christopher J. Schneider
Published by Routledge, Police Body-Worn Cameras: Media and the New Discourse of Police Reform, co-authored with Dr. Erick Laming from Trent University, examines how media narratives and public discourse have helped position body-worn cameras as a technological solution to longstanding concerns about policing, despite mixed research evidence regarding their effectiveness.
Drawing on research supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), the book critically analyzes how body-worn cameras are framed by police organizations, journalists, policymakers, and the public, and how these narratives shape expectations of reform.
"This book is the culmination of a decade of thinking and writing about police body-worn cameras," said Dr. Schneider. "We hope that our book will contribute to a shift in the way that people think about body cameras."
Dr. Gregory Kennedy, Dean of Arts at Brandon University, highlighted the book's broader scholarly and societal relevance. "Dr. Schneider's work exemplifies the strength of humanities and social science research at Brandon University," said Kennedy. "By interrogating the stories we tell about technology, power, and reform, this book contributes meaningfully to public understanding of one of the most pressing issues in contemporary society."
The research also reflects Brandon University's commitment to addressing complex social challenges through interdisciplinary inquiry.
"This book demonstrates how rigorous, SSHRC-funded research can inform public debate and policy discussions," said Dr. Bernadette Ardelli, Vice-President (Research & Graduate Studies). "Dr. Schneider's scholarship underscores the importance of critically examining technological solutions that are often presented as quick fixes to deeply rooted social issues."
Police Body-Worn Cameras: Media and the New Discourse of Police Reform was published in January 2026 and is available in paperback and digital formats here: https://www.routledge.com/Police-Body-Worn-Cameras-Media-and-the-New-Discourse-of-Police-Reform/Schneider-Laming/p/book/9781032587929
