Police should wear body cameras because playing body cameras could improve the public’s view of police by showing the human side, help to provide evidence when a person may not be able to, and it protects the officers and public both.
Police body cameras are a type of video recording system, which used by law enforcement to record their behavior with the people, and also known to increase both police officers and citizens liability.
Surely everyone has wondered about the accountability of police officers, but maybe this will no longer be an issue. With the help of police body cameras, officers will be accountable for the good they do, and in some situations the awful actions. Although police body cameras would be a moral idea, there are some downsides. The body cameras could be seen as an invasion of privacy, as they would record everyday behavior for police officers, which is not necessary to record. All in all, police cameras could greatly improve the behavior of police officers.
For the past couple years there has been many injustice cases involving poor accusations of innocent victims. These poor accusations of innocent victims include shootings of innocent African Americans. One way to avoid these problems is the use of body cams. These tiny cameras have saved a Police Officer 's job, justified an innocent victim, and even has saved a person 's life. Recently Police Departments have been using these such body cameras and have seen significant results. Although some people may not like body cams, their benefits are too important to ignore.
“A government that operates in the dark is a government people should be concerned about.” - Bates, a police analyst. Police Departments around the Nation are looking at requiring officers wearing cameras. In 2014 Barack Obama stated, he would strengthen standards by enforcing body cameras for police departments to lower the amount of deaths, complaints, and viral harassment, towards the police departments. For Instance, Leslie Sapp was fatally shot as Marshals went to Leslie’s house to give him a warrant, they claimed that he pointed a toy gun at them, the Marshals were not charged. The body cameras would be used as a tool and for the public to see, allowing the complaints to go down. It is critical that policemen wear body cameras because it saves lives, brings justice to the ones involved, and builds a bond with the community.
Another advantage to implementing police body cameras is that it would lower lawsuit costs from expedited resolutions of complaints and lawsuits. It may seem small but a footage from a body camera provides a judge with truthful evidence of what transpired throughout the incident. Frivolous complaints towards a police officer cost a large amount of money in terms of jury verdicts and out-of-court settlements (Ramirez). So to cut the time spent arguing a case involving an officer would be cut down with the demonstration of a video type. But to go even further, any idle complaints could be forgotten if the videotape shows that the officer’s actions are justified within the incident. It is common for police departments to settle objections out
Oddie Shoupe, a Tennessee sheriff has recently been sued for proudly stating to his fellow officers that he loves to kill people (foul language was used) right after they shot and killed a man by the name of Michael Dial. Shoupe made this explicit statement under the assumption that his men’s body cameras were turned off and in the trunk of their squad cars. Fortunately, one of the cameras managed to record the audio. The issue at hand is that body cameras are definitely needed, police dishonesty and brutality is a top issue in the world and if body cameras are used, American citizens and the world in general can rest a little easier. Body cameras can help secure evidence in court, keep the police honest to the citizens, and shed
It is becoming more important for law enforcement officers (LEOs) to have video recordings of civilian contacts recorded from their own perspectives. Many times critical incidents happen out of range of the vehicle cameras. Just like most things in life, technology has found a way to make advancements in everything we do. Advancements in law enforcement are of no exception. Technology has put cameras in squad cars and now on our officers, but unlike vehicle-mounted cameras, the body-worn cameras travel with officers. Both law enforcement and civil rights advocates are excited by the potential benefits of body worn cameras to improve community policing and safety. There are many benefits for both citizens and law enforcement officials if body
“Hands up! Hands up! Drop your weapon!” A voice screams out. You are confused. You have no weapon. You turn around slowly and raise your hands. However, the sound of a shots ring through your ear, and you are pushed backwards. You feel no pain, but you see blood spreading through your shirt. Terror clouds your mind and you raise your hand and call for help. You see a police officer in front of you, but he stands there. He does nothing. Now, you have been lying there for a while, and your adrenaline is dying down. You feel like you are being engulfed in flames, and you writhe in agony on the ground, which is wet from your blood. There are many incidents similar to this one. In fact, there were 1304 Americans killed by the police in just 2015. Something needs to be done about this cruelty. Tragedies such as this one can be greatly reduced by body cameras.
Although the conduct of police officers and the validity of the video evidence will be highly scrutinized, body cameras are necessary because police brutality and falsified reports would be diminished. Malcom X stated “If someone puts their hands on you make sure they never put their hands on anybody else again.” In my personal opinion, I feel the police officers would be held in check due to their knowing that they are constantly being monitored.
Body cameras are tiny cameras that can be worn on the chest, shoulder, or head. “Police have made use of telecommunications equipment ever since the invention of the telephone, but technology today is so much more upgraded” (Blackwell). Body worn cameras are certain to have a huge effect on law enforcement. While body cameras for police officers are being distributed to different departments the change seems be positive. “The idea of having police officers carry body cameras has received an increasing amount of attention from police, governments, and the media. Police officers equipped with body cameras intensified after the fatal shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, in August of 2014” (Tsin). While body cameras can be very helpful on patrols and investigations, on duty police officers should be required to equip themselves with a body camera so they have an accurate description of the
Well, having body cameras as part of an officer’s uniform has its pros and cons.
It’s no secret that everyone holds their own opinion regarding the actions of police officers and other positions of authority within these past years, be it positive or negative. From the shootings of innocent and unarmed civilians to disciplinary action being taken against those that haven’t done anything unlawful, there’s rarely a day when the police force of the United States doesn’t find itself involved in some sort of controversy. No matter what side people find themselves supporting in these instances, be it the police or the civilian, it’s true that both sides can benefit from the use of these police body cameras.
Today, everywhere you go you are being watched and recorded by some kind of cameras even if you may not know you are. There are now body cameras that police officers wear that you are being recorded by in this day and age. Police body cameras are beneficial in many situations and help not only police officers but also civilians. Body cameras are worn because of many attacks by police officers and attacks on police officers by criminals. Body cameras are required to be worn and required to be powered on while on duty. Many think that all footage recorded by body cameras should be open to public viewing.
All around there are police departments that are starting to use body cameras. The departments that are starting to use these body cameras are showing benefits of using of them. They are not cheap but there are funds that are helping them buy these cameras. The body cameras also are providing a better understanding of all events when they happen. The use of these body cameras have brought out many benefits in using them, but there are also downsides to using them. The downsides are that they are not cheap to buy and the storage for the data that is recorded is filling up fast and there is a constant need for more storage. “The department has four of them, each costing about $350” “The recordings are deleted to make room for new videos” (Hall). On duty police should use the body cameras because there will be a better understanding of any events or incidents and less