Many people suggest that body cameras on police officers are effective in a robust way but that is not always the case. Police body cameras cause multiple issues not only for the public but for the officers themselves as well. The negative outcomes out these cameras being put to use on officers outweigh the positives. Many more problems occur when officers using this equipment. Police officers using body cameras create many issues in specific areas such as cost, honesty, and privacy. Items such as body cameras are extremely expensive. According to the Greenville Police Department, “using drug seizure funds, bought 40 body cameras at a cost of $865 each in November 2011,” Bragg said. (Romando Dixon, “What We Know [And Don’t] Know About
Many agencies came together in order to pinpoint a solution to accommodate both the safety of law enforcement officers, and the citizens of the community. The “militarization” of the police force in Ferguson, and the excessive use of force claims by the public in these incidents, contributed to the solution of law enforcement officers wearing body cameras while on duty. Today, most if not all law enforcement agencies require their officers to sport body cameras, documenting both the citizen and officers every
While body cameras can provide many benefits to law enforcement, they aren 't cheap to own. A body camera can cost anywhere between $120-$2,000 depending on the storage capacity, types of functions, and battery life. Law enforcement agencies also have to cover the costs that come with storing the recorded data, which can be even more costly than the camera. The cost of the footage depends on how many videos are produced, how long the videos are stored, and where the videos are stored. If the footage is stored on an in-house sever, meaning kept within the department, the cost goes up due to needing to purchase computer equipment and employing technical staff to ensure the video footage is secure.
The reason for this statement is body cams are an officer’s defense according to the passage “Body cams protect officers from deceitful reporting which can sway public reporting”. This is all the more to have body cams it works out for the community and law enforcement. The cams can also allow for officers to review footage if an incident would arise where the officers would have to defend themselves form public voice. Allowing them to do so can improve relation with the public. Most officers will see the cams as a threat but they are here for condemning the bad and parsing the good
In Fort Worth, an officer Sikes gave an anecdote that boils down to him having experiences where people would begin aggrandize their reactions and they would begin to calm down once they knew they were being recorded. Secondly, many police officers actually want body cameras to protect themselves against false accusations or brutality, discrimination, and many other things. In Denton County, there was a specific incident where a witness video just showed the perspective where the cop unjustly tases an African American at a NAACP protest. However, that police officers body cameras saved him in the lawsuit because it revealed that the had actually warned the person by saying “get back” multiple times before any actions were
Body Cameras on Police Officers There are pro and cons to police officers wearing body cameras. In light of all the recent killings caused by the law, concern of the safety of both the authority figures and the public have caused the issue of there being a mandatory law that officers should have to wear body cameras at all time and make sure they are turned on whenever they are to interact with the public. Most recently there has been a plethora of killings of unarmed young minorities just for the simple reasoning that they looked "suspicious" or "they seemed like they were up to no good". The reason many states would like to put the law that every officer should be mandated to wear body cameras into place will be for the purpose of being able to record any interaction that an officer has with a person of the public.
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.
So many lives could be saved and so many police officers’ careers could be saved through the utilization of this idea and the reaping of its benefits. Whether it captures a citizen attack on a police officer or whether it captures a case of police brutality, the great possibilities outweigh the potential cons of police body cameras and make them a risk worth taking. Whether one takes the side of the citizens and believe the police are typically irrational or one takes the side of the police and believe they are only doing their jobs to the best of their ability, the incorporation of body cameras to the controversial police force would be extremely beneficial for
Some may worry that body cameras on police officers are not necessary a great idea, some may even say it’s against their privacy. According to “Cameras on Cops a Privacy Question “states that Governments and police departments argue that while the cameras provide transparency and accountability, they may also compromise a citizen 's right to privacy and the integrity of some investigations which will inevitably rely on the video in a
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
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
Literature Review Some of the biggest issues in policing are the topics related to police behavior in police departments all around the United States. For various reasons, police departments have had to implement technologies into policing to reduce the number of incidents, complaints, and criticisms between civilians and officers. The implementation of body cameras on police officers is a strategy used by agencies to avoid outrages and criticism, increase accountability, and deter violent behavior of both officers and civilians. Multiple studies in the United States conducted within the last ten years show varying results and of the use of body cameras in police departments. Studies on Body Camera Usage in Police Departments by the National
A major benefit for having body cams is the fact that it will decrease the force used by Police Officers. For the past couple of years there has been many videos of Police Officers using excessive force against innocent victims, especially with African Americans. “The notion has been around for a while. But since August 's fatal shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri -- for which witness accounts varied widely -- it 's gained traction to become part of the national conversation about police conduct.” (Brandon Griggs 1)
Speech Outline Title: Body Cameras I. Introduction Attention-getter: Body cameras were used because of Michael Brown’s death and police misconduct. B. Significance Body cameras may increase police accountability and protect them from accusations. C. Credibility: My interest in this topic is due to the latest deadly encounters with police officers and improving the communities’ safety.