The USC Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences at the University of Southern California is seeking to recruit multiple people to participate in one of two remote roles on the Everyday Respect research project. The Everyday Respect research team is working to analyze communication between police officers and drivers on the basis of body worn video recordings. Our objective is to enhance transparency and accountability, and to improve our understanding of officer-civilian communication. See recent coverage of the project by LAist.

Research Participants will watch body-worn camera recordings of 2-5 police traffic stops and answer questions regarding their perceptions of these interactions.  Participation requires a minimum 2 hours commitment with up to 5 hours appreciated. This participation time includes both an orientation session and time spent watching videos and answering questions. We can provide Visa gift card compensation of $50-$100, depending on the duration of participation. 

Resource Employee: Video Annotators will be trained to complete a series of objective and subjective video annotation tasks. Resource employees will work a minimum of 30 hours (total), with a possibility of employment for up to 35 hours per week up to a total of 120 hours maximum.  Paid training is provided for this position.
 

Video annotators are workers who view video footage captured by police body cameras and then record information about these interactions using a coding manual provided by our team. In the first stages of the project, this work will mostly involve relatively objective measures of what occurs during these interactions, like whether the officer introduces themselves or explains the reason for the stop, or whether a search occurs. In later phases of the project, we will ask for more subjective assessments of communication between officers and drivers.

The data gathered by both research participants and resource employees will be used to train AI models, helping us measure key aspects of communication between officers and drivers.

The Everyday Respect research team is interested in recruiting candidates from as wide of a range of backgrounds as possible. This includes but is not limited to: people of all ages including those over 65; people with a range of educational backgrounds including those who have not completed high school; people from all race and ethnic backgrounds; people whose first language is not English, and especially people who are formerly incarcerated and people who have worked in law enforcement.

Responsibilities of Resource Employees:

• View video footage captured by police body cameras and record information about interactions
• Perform other related duties as assigned or requested. The university reserves the right to add or change duties at any time.

Preferred Qualifications for Resource Employees:
 

• Must have reliable access to a computer and high speed internet or be capable of commuting to work at the University Park Campus of the University of Southern California.
• Must be capable of careful attention to detail for extended periods of time while watching videos and recording information about them.
• Due to the confidential nature of the data, all project participants must sign and adhere to a nondisclosure agreement and media policy agreement.

Hourly range (Resource Employees): The hourly rate range for this position is $22-$30 per hour. Resource employees will work a total of 30-120 hours over a period of up to 3 months.

When extending an offer of employment, the University of Southern California considers factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate’s work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer equity, federal, state and local laws, contractual stipulations, grant funding, as well as external market and organizational considerations.

Performs other related duties as assigned or requested. The university reserves the right to add or change duties at any time.

Required Documents and Additional Information:

• Resume and cover letter required (may be uploaded as one file). Please do not submit your application without these documents.
• If you are interested in becoming a Research Participant, please fill out this brief questionnaire and we will be in touch very soon.
• Job openings are posted for a minimum of (5) five business days. This job may be removed from posting boards and filled any time after the minimum posting period has ended, so please apply on the same business day if interested.

USC is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law or USC policy. USC observes affirmative action obligations consistent with state and federal law. USC will consider for employment all qualified applicants with criminal records in a manner consistent with applicable laws and regulations, including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for employers and the Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, and with due consideration for patient and student safety. Please refer to the Background Screening Policy Appendix D for specific employment screen implications for the position for which you are applying. 

We provide reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. Applicants with questions about access or requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should contact USC Human Resources by phone at (213) 821-8100, or by email at [email protected]. Inquiries will be treated as confidential to the extent permitted by law.

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