Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager, was shot and killed on August 9, 2014 by Darren Wilson, a white police officer, in Ferguson, Missouri. The shooting prompted protests. When it was announced that Officer Wilson would not be indicted, the announcement set off another wave of protests. Not all police officers are dishonest and abuse their power but It 's obvious that today 's community of people has a suspicion of officers true intentions. The idea of cops and cameras has been around for a while but ever since the fatal shooting of Michael Brown the debate on whether police officers should be required to wear body cameras has been the center of attention. I believe that police officers should have to wear body cameras while on duty. …show more content…
Body cameras help address issues with inappropriate police behavior and police brutality. According to the article, “Body Cameras Worn by Police Officers Are No ‘Safeguard of Truth,’ Experts Say”, One officer in Phoenix, Arizona was fired after his body camera captured repeated incidents of unprofessional conduct. The video shows the officer swearing at suspects, calling them names, and insulting them. Continuously wearing body cameras would hold police accountable for their appropriate and inappropriate conduct. Body cameras could prevent cases like the Ferguson shooting. There was no way for the public to know for sure what had happened. Of course there is the opposing side 's argument that there is no practicality to have cameras play constantly a cop could just as easy turn off the camera at the very moment they should be recording an important interaction, there 's nothing to stop cops from abusing this privilege. The officer could turn his camera off, but it could end up risking his job. For example the article mentions an officer in Daytona Beach, Florida was forced to quit after he was caught turning off his camera. Also the article mentions another officer that was fired in Albuquerque because his camera was off when he shot and killed a woman. Theses examples show that officers are not complying with the requirement are being held accountable by losing their jobs. There must be guidelines for when police should turn their cameras on and off. Many current policies encourage the cameras to be turned on only when police are among the public which is
Body Cameras Don 't Work If They Are Not Worn or Not Turned On After Michael Brown, the unarmed black teen who was shot in Ferguson, Missouri, America made it known that we want police officers to wear body cameras. Police Departments responded by saying they want officers to wear body cameras, too. So, if everybody wants the officers to wear body cameras why are there still so many incidents of questionable conduct that are not recorded? According to the Huffington Post, only 2 of the 27 large U.S. cities looked at had all of their officers equipped with body cams.
Due to lack of evidence, it is often hard to charge an officer for disorderly conduct, which causes the public outrage and turns them against the justice system. If officers wore body cameras, there would be more evidence to support any claims made between both the officers and the public who ask for answers. A great example of this occurred earlier this year with the death of Mike Brown, who was an unarmed teenager killed by Darren Wilson. Wilson was indicted because of the lack of evidence that Brown was actually a threat. It was basically the public against an officer.
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. Police body cameras hold one main purpose and that’s to deteriorate the ever-present risk of unnecessary aggression on
Body-worn cameras are definitely the future of policing, however there is still a lot of work to be done in addressing the concerns of privacy. Body cameras alone will not solve the issues that have materialized over the history of policing, but they are a really good way to start showing that police departments want to be transparent and start holding themselves accountable for their actions. This is a huge step in improving police and minority
The amount of police misconduct continues to decrease as more and more officers begin to wear body cameras while on the job. In 2015, around 5,000 of the police departments in the use have begun implementing the use of body cameras (Police Body). Many people view this as something that will help those that are being falsely accused of attacking or being attacked by the police, while other believe that this will impede that officers from being able to their jobs effectively. Police wearing body cameras will have a positive effect like lowering the amount of police misconduct, help the police gain more trust in the community, and give more evidence in any investigations.
These body cameras are an invasion of privacy to these victims caught on camera. People in the U.S as Americans have a right to privacy as stated in the 4th amendment, these body cameras are invasion to their privacy by placing the videos from the camera on Youtube or online. It is true, that these cameras are a violation of privacy and it breaking our amendment however, the police departments will work with victims so the videos will not be released, the department of police can ask permission to release the videos or at least sign a consent form to put it out. Victims on camera can ask ask cops to turn off the cameras at any time. At the end of the day they do have choice, therefore body cameras should be permitted in police
First, they shouldn’t wear body cameras because it raises high privacy concerns. For example, “Recordings raise high privacy concerns. In some states, anyone can access the video.” (Should Police Wear Body Cameras, pg.23) Also, “Study Reveals Police Officer Are More Likely To Be Assaulted.”
Although officers claim they aren’t as unprofessional as everyone says, many people beg to differ. A lot of people have evidence on how they were mistreated, and how the officers weren’t at all professional. Others have been killed and seriously injured, but the idea is still up in the air after several years. To protect themselves, and others around them, police officers should be forced to wear body cameras while they’re in a case or are talking to a suspect while on duty. Having to wear body cameras would be a positive way to help the authorities to see the truth better than just having to listen to the voice recorder.
Now there is two possible outcomes, there was police misconduct and abuse of power, or the police officer did everything correctly and by the book. Either way there needs to be something that can protect the public from police misconduct and also protect law enforcement from dealing with false accusations that can tarnish their reputation. That is why body worn cameras need to be mandatory for all police officers to wear because it protects the public and the police officers that are wearing them. A couple positive outcomes police officers wearing body cameras is how they can lower police officers misuse of authority and also lower false complaints against officers as well. These are two
Having body cams on police officers can help change the society we live in today that is dealing with police shootings. To start, there are many pros to having body cameras on police officers around the country. The cameras will prevent any unnecessary shootings and deaths of innocent people. In the past few years, Using the body cams can help prevent police violence against
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
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. First I will state by explaining why cameras are considered an unbiased resource.
Well, having body cameras as part of an officer’s uniform has its pros and cons. 1.The pros about body cameras are that it can prevent violence. A 2013 University of Cambridge study found that when police wear body cameras, both police and respondents are less likely to use violence. The study indicated a drop in use of force by more than a 50 percent. Body cameras could thus make the streets safer for both officers and the general public (Baum, E.,2015).
Body cameras help back up the officers’ and victims’ viewpoints as to what happens in the field. Body-worn cameras can also let people know they are
Dtron Ferguson P-8 ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY(body cameras) Treyvon Benjamin Martin, a name you may reconize from a popular case of police brutality. In 2010 alone 23.3 percent of all reports of misconduct were excessive force. Even though there is one simple solution, body cameras. At the very least body cameras can give images and sounds of the situation. Police officers should be required to wear body cameras because it helps the bond between police and the public and holds the police accountable