Widening the Lens: A Strategic Guide to Body-Worn Camera Programs Across Sectors
A wide range of industry sectors, from law enforcement and healthcare to retail and even commercial applications, are increasingly adopting body-worn camera technology.
Once primarily used by police departments—some of which mandate their use—these devices are vital tools for capturing a complete and accurate account of events. But introducing these cameras into new segments can raise important considerations, such as navigating the marketplace, overcoming resistance, and addressing legal and ethical concerns.
Despite these hurdles, many stakeholders are actively evaluating how body-worn cameras can address their issues while delivering meaningful and measurable outcomes.
The Wider Use Case
Law enforcement is the primary user of body-worn solutions, but other industries are increasingly recognizing their value. These new users are helping to drive developments and reshape how body-worn cameras are being used.
Healthcare. Hospital stakeholders are expressing a growing interest in body-worn cameras because of their ability to document interactions between security staff and employees, patients, or visitors.
Healthcare security staff interact with a high volume of people and often work in volatile situations. Healthcare workers are also at high risk for experiencing workplace violence. As a result, some healthcare risk managers see body-worn cameras as a vital tool to support transparency, accountability, and safety.
Retail. Retailers are actively investigating body-worn cameras for the same reason as the healthcare industry: the rise in workplace violence. However, retail focuses more heavily on determining if body-worn cameras can be used to help people de-escalate tense situations.
Smaller retailers are less likely than healthcare facilities to be staffed with security or public safety teams. This means frontline workers—who may have little or no experience with security technology—may be asked to don a body-worn camera while at work and will require training to use it effectively.
Larger retailers, however, may have dedicated retail loss prevention teams, especially in higher crime areas, who are trained to directly intervene in shoplifting and aggressive customer situations. In these cases, body-worn cameras are a tool for them to document their interactions.
Commercial. The commercial sector—which includes industries such as manufacturing, logistics, food services, and facilities management—is one that could see significant body-worn camera adoption in the coming years.
These organizations are considering body-worn cameras for their ability to document work, ensure compliance, and increase efficiency. Stakeholders may view body-worn cameras as portable security cameras that provide a solution to meet operational and safety needs, from food handling processes to warehouse pick and pack to hazardous spill clean-up and work verification.
Overcoming Employee Resistance
Law enforcement agencies have been deploying body-worn camera programs for years, and their experiences offer valuable lessons for everyone.
When starting a body-worn program, there is typically some employee pushback—often driven by fears that the technology will be used for surveillance or disciplinary purposes. Managers that address employee concerns and adequately explain the benefits of the new technology, however, will likely see this initial resistance dissipate. Inviting internal stakeholders to test and verify the technology before rolling it out organizationwide can also build trust and credibility with skeptical employees. Taking this staged approach allows employees to become comfortable with the technology and positions leadership as able to address remaining concerns.
A well-implemented body-worn camera program can also empower employees to do their job without fear of a coworker filing a false complaint that could endanger their job—especially if an interaction happens out of sight of security cameras.
In hospital environments—where regulations can limit the use of fixed security cameras and incidents of aggression toward staff are on the rise—frontline employees can be vulnerable to false or disputed complaints. For example, a security staff member might be accused of using excessive force during a patient or visitor interaction in an area not covered by surveillance.
In such cases, body-worn camera footage can provide an objective account of the incident, demonstrating that the staff member acted professionally and followed established protocols. This type of evidence has been used to dismiss unfounded allegations, protect the integrity of the employee, and reinforce trust in institutional processes. It also highlights the critical role body-worn cameras play in documenting incidents that occur out of view of traditional security systems—supporting both accountability and employee peace of mind.
When starting a body-worn program, there is typically some employee pushback—often driven by fears that the technology will be used for surveillance or disciplinary purposes.
Balancing Compliance, Expanding Use
Public safety agencies have long faced legal challenges surrounding surveillance, particularly related to audio and video recording. Today, those same concerns are emerging in the private sector.
The two primary questions that arise across industries are:
- Can I legally record audio?
- When is it not permissible to record video?
Research shows that such concerns are often resolved in the United States when body-worn cameras are used under just cause and in plain view. It is especially important that private sector security practitioners review the legal requirements in their jurisdiction for expectations of privacy and adapt body-worn camera policies accordingly.
These policies should also include who it is appropriate to share body-worn camera footage with. Some innovative body-worn camera program directors, especially in healthcare, are thinking beyond the traditional security use cases. They are looking for ways to leverage body-worn cameras to protect their employees, while also using the technology to provide a higher level of patient care.
One emerging practice involves sharing relevant footage with appropriate stakeholders who may find the recorded video valuable from a clinical or operational standpoint. For example, if a security staff member is the first on scene with a patient in crisis, their body-worn camera may capture invaluable information that could assist the hospital staff in administering a higher level of patient care.
Let’s say a patient experiencing a psychiatric or medical episode becomes agitated in a waiting area. The responding security officer’s body-worn camera may capture key early observations: the patient’s speech patterns, physical condition, potential triggers, and response to verbal cues. This video, recorded before medical staff arrive, can offer invaluable insight into the patient’s behavior and state at the onset of the event.
Typically, body-worn camera footage is securely stored and only shared with authorized staff—in the case of hospitals, clinical leaders or risk managers. Relevant videos can be reviewed to better understand patient behavior, improve care, and enhance staff training. The process of course would follow strict privacy and regulatory rules (e.g., HIPAA). When done right, this turns security footage into a valuable tool for improving patient outcomes and the safety of staff, bystanders, and visitors.
CoxHealth, a Level 1 trauma center that handles more 80,000 patient visits each year in Springfield, Missouri, has rolled out body-worn cameras for its public safety and security officers, and is pursuing this policy. This forward-thinking approach not only helps manage resistance to adoption but also secures greater support from senior leadership.
Technology and Workflow
There are several body-worn camera technology providers and choosing the right one depends on your needs. When considering what is the best fit for you, you should ask if your organization needs a standalone system or if a cloud-based or integrated solution would fit your needs. The answer to that question will shape how the system fits into your workflow and infrastructure.
When selecting a body-worn camera provider, this checklist can help you evaluate how a potential solution aligns with your current processes and what changes or investments may be required.
Answering these questions will help narrow your options:
- Activation. How is the camera activated? Can the user easily start and stop recording? What type of automations are available?
- Video offload. What is required to offload the video? Is it a matter of simply docking the camera or does it require manual steps, like plugging in a USB adapter and logging into a system?
- Data management. What type of storage solution is needed? What are your data retention requirements? Where is the video stored—is it on-prem or in the cloud? Can the body-worn camera be integrated with an existing system? What is the process to review video? Are there tools for efficiently locating specific footage? Will users require additional trainings?
- Sharing video. If there is a need to share video, internally or externally, what is the process for that? How is video currently shared and does the new body-worn solution fit within existing workflows, or would it require a new process?
- Redaction capabilities. When body-worn camera video is used for evidentiary purposes, effective redaction is critical, so it’s important to ask if the system supports selective redaction such as audio-only or masking individual faces. Also, are artificial intelligence-assisted redaction tools available to make the process more efficient?
Once you’ve answered the above, you can focus on the technical details that matter most.
Design. When selecting a body-worn camera solution, there are several technical considerations that can vary significantly based on the end user's industry and environment. Size, form factor, and durability are key factors.
For example, public safety professionals typically require rugged, high-visibility devices that convey authority and can withstand tough conditions. In contrast, healthcare workers or retail staff often prefer more discreet, lightweight, and approachable designs, especially in environments where patient comfort or customer experience is a priority.
These preferences also extend to mounting options. Public safety uniforms allow for flexible and secure camera placement, but lighter clothing worn in healthcare or retail settings demands simpler solutions, such as lanyards or magnetic mounts. A poorly chosen mount can easily lead to poor adoption among staff, regardless of camera quality.
Function. Beyond physical design, functionality and workflow integration play a critical role. Features like automatic activation and discreet notifications are increasingly important in commercial settings, where employees may enter privacy-sensitive areas like break rooms or office areas without realizing their camera is still recording. These safeguards are essential for compliance and maintaining trust.
Battery life is another universal priority: public safety officers may need long-lasting or on-the-go docking and charging for extended shifts, while retail and healthcare users need compact devices that can still survive an entire workday.
Live streaming is gaining traction as well—it’s a great way to get additional eyes on the scene, valuable in law enforcement and for tasks like remote work verification or live technical support in commercial environments.
Finally, video authenticity and chain of custody are crucial across all sectors. With the growing concern around video manipulation and deepfakes, organizations need assurance that the footage captured is secure, tamper-proof, and verifiable for evidentiary or compliance purposes.
As private industry adopts more body-worn cameras, technology providers will continue to develop tailored solutions to meet the unique needs of each sector. Through continued collaboration that builds on collective expertise, the body-worn camera ecosystem will advance to meet the growing and diverse demands of users—improving accountability, efficiency, and outcomes across the board.
Steven Jussaume is a solutions engineer at Axis Communications with more than 12 years of experience in the security industry. He serves as a subject matter expert in body-worn camera technology and supports a range of solutions, including PTZs, fixed box cameras, specialty cameras, and license plate recognition. Jussaume plays a key role in bridging Axis’ product development efforts in Sweden with the American market, providing expert guidance on complex projects and maintaining strong end-user engagement.
© Steven Jussaume, Axis Communications
