Abstract
Body-worn cameras have become an important accountability technology in contemporary policing, but their value depends on more than the capacity to record police–citizen encounters. The usefulness of recorded footage is shaped by the conditions under which officers comply with recording protocols, the organizational and technological systems that support implementation, and the procedures through which digital recordings are preserved, authenticated, evaluated, and used in the justice process. This study examined the implementation of body-worn camera protocols within the National Capital Region Police Office, focusing on operational compliance, implementation challenges, digital evidence management, prosecutorial utilization, and accountability. A qualitative research approach using Narrative Inquiry was employed to examine the lived and professional experiences of police personnel and prosecutors. Fifteen purposively selected participants, comprising ten police personnel and 5 prosecutors representing the five police districts of the National Capital Region Police Office, participated in semi-structured Key Informant Interviews. The narratives were analyzed thematically through the three-dimensional narrative inquiry space of temporality, sociality, and place. Five overarching themes emerged. First, compliance developed from an initial perception of the camera as a procedural requirement toward recognition of its evidentiary and accountability value. Second, operational pressures, equipment limitations, and post-recording demands constrained consistent implementation. Third, the evidentiary value of recordings depended on systematic documentation, secure storage, metadata preservation, controlled access, and chain-of-custody practices. Fourth, prosecutors regarded BWC footage as valuable for case assessment and corroboration, while emphasizing authentication and police–prosecutor coordination. Fifth, participants viewed BWC footage as a mechanism for fact reconstruction, procedural accountability, transparency, and evidence-based decision-making. The study concluded that sustainable BWC implementation requires integrated governance rather than technology acquisition alone. The findings informed the Proposed Integrated Body-Worn Camera Governance Framework, which links operational governance, organizational and technology support, digital evidence integrity, prosecutorial integration, and accountability-oriented continuous improvement.