Advantages Of Body Cameras

There has been a lot of talk lately in the news about police body cameras. Some people agree that body cameras should be used by all police officers, while others disagree and believe that they shouldn’t be used at all. There are some cons to having body cameras but all of the pros outweigh it. Police body cameras should be used in all towns no matter how small because the people will act less aggressive towards officers, they provide truthful evidence that cannot be altered with, and the videos can be stored so if something were to happen, they could be brought up and checked as sort of like a surveillance device.

Body cameras in policing are still new, but more and more agencies are beginning to implement this technology into their line of work. At first police officers were very hesitant to wear these body cameras because they were afraid they would infringe themselves and give away their own privacy. Later, as body cameras were beginning to see more use in the work place, officers began to realize that these very own body cameras that they once thought would only cause themselves harm would actual prove to be useful in a variety of situations. Some of these situations can be citizen complaints, to even backing up an officers use of force. Body cameras can be the one sole thing that can give

Body cameras can be used for safety to prevent crime. Civilians can think twice before attacking a police officer by knowing everything is being recorded. Even though, civilians, may think body cameras are invading their privacy. The cameras are for safety purposes, and to avoid any police brutality. Also, police officers will not abuse their power of authority, by knowing they have a body camera and it can turn against them.

At the beginning of the study, police commanders were apprehensive, they felt that body-worn cameras might cause officers to center their time on dispatched calls, instead of networking with citizens. This was found not to be the case, suggesting that body-worn cameras allow officers to record suspicious events on the street before starting contact with a suspect. This could give more explanation and confidence to initiate encounters. Overall, officers are actually more active when wearing cameras, without aggregating their use of aggressive strategies that threatened the validity of the organization, like unwarranted stop and frisks and misdemeanor arrests (Stanley, 2015). Monitoring police behavior and demonstrating accountability are in the community’s interest as well as police departments’. Achieving this will require great attention to the transmission of recorded information honestly, as conflicting stories may come into play regarding how the content of officer recordings are conveyed to the

Police officers should wear body cameras at all times on duty because it creates more evidence. Body cameras document everything from witnesses,victims,and suspects. “Perceived benefits that body-worn cameras offer—capturing a video recording of critical incidents and encounters with the public, strengthening police accountability, and providing a valuable new type of evidence—largely outweigh the potential drawbacks. (Ziv). This supports the argument because body cameras will be able to record any incidents and report them with the public. This quote support my big argument because only the officers and the victims knows what going on in a situation. This quote supports the position because now there will be clear evidence in certain

Law enforcement should always be concerned with the public trust they operate with. Officers are neighbors and regular people just like the rest of the community. Allowing a record of their actions not only gives them protection from false claims it also can keep people from overreacting in situations. Studies have shown that both officers and citizens both are more likely to remain calm in a situation where everyone knows they were being recorded beforehand (Spivak).

One benefit would be that it is valuable in investigations. Whether it is recording statements and eye witness accounts or recording intense encounters, the cameras will be running the entire time in order to show complete transparency on what happens between officers and citizens. Because of this transparency body cameras can help judges refute false claims made against officers or citizens. They also provide evidence that is difficult to refute in court. Another benefit of body cameras is that they would reduce crime, because criminals are less likely to conduct crimes when they are on camera. On the other side of the spectrum, they also keep officers in line. Chavis (2017) stated that body-worn cameras help hold police officers accountable when they use deadly force to subdue a suspect. Chavis (2017) also said that body cameras could deter wrongful accusations toward police officers. After their encounters with citizens, their actions can be reviewed and

Police body cameras are used in some police departments as a way to record any interaction between an officer and a citizen. Some Americans today seem to think that police body cameras interfere with their right to privacy, because they record sensitive situations. Other Americans believe that the cameras serve as evidence in case something doesn 't go as planned. Police body cameras should be used nationwide because they provide direct evidence, stop police misconduct, build trust, and protect the innocent from being persecuted.

I think body cameras on police officers are worth the expense. Abby Phillips from the Washington Post says “At the 1 year memorial for Michael Brown,Tyrone Harris was supposedly armed with a 9mm Sig Sauer that was reported stolen last year so the cops opened fire on him and he is now in critical condition. His family and friends denied that he was armed.” (Phillips 1) We should have body cameras on police officers because it would show evidence of what actually happened at this crime scene and many others that are still being questioned. The cameras would basically show if there is any foul play from the cop and or if it was the actual suspects fault. Having the camera’s would end all of the questioning in police cases

There are instances people don’t cooperate because of the trust issues between them. Hopefully the cameras can reestablish the connection between police and citizens. Soon they may realize this task will much harder to complete. Some may say it a breach of privacy, “particularly in instances in which encounters with police occur in a private home.” (Police Body Cameras) This is one of the main concerns with body cameras, nobody wants to be film inside his/her own home. Also the cameras are expensive at a large scale. “Body cameras can cost in the range of $100 upward to $1,500...” (Ignasiak) It’s not rational idea to issue all officers with cameras the cost will be too

The argument holds that they are for the safety of the suspect and for the officer. Body cams will allow for the department to look back at any reported incidents, and make sure that the citizen are given their right and that no foul play was involved. Body cams have been used before to go over unfortunate fatal cases of officers having to pull out their weapons. Many believe mandating body cam will, hopefully, diminish the number of individuals dying in police custody.

A police officer can fib on a report about a shooting that probably wasn’t even the victims fault and you would never know. Now that body cameras have come about, police officers would be foolish to deceit the public. Police officers should be required to wear body cameras because they will lessen the number of complaints made by the people and it will inspire the police to perform better.

All police officers should wear body cameras because they would then have good proof for why they pulled someone over or arrested them. It would also be a great way to keep record of how many arrests or stops a police officer makes in a given period of time. Other police or the chief of police could then see how the person under arrest or pulled over acted towards the cop. If the cop got physical with a suspect or just someone he’d pulled over or arrested the body cam would show if he had good reason to do so. Cases like a cop getting physical have a tendency to go to court the body cam could either prevent that or prove if the policeman was out of line or doing what he had to do.

I do agree that police officers should wear body cameras to prevent violence and protect any false accusations, misconduct, or abuse against the officers. For an example an officer using excessive force on a civilian, that doesn’t have a weapon on them can cause a major issue in our society. In addition it will also help the civilians to be able to trust the law enforcement officers. While the camera is rolling the civilians and the police officers can act accordantly. Even though many people believe that police officers wearing body cameras will cause problems with privacy, but in the long run this will make a difference on how we as a society handle certain situations.

With these cameras, no one can be mistakenly accused of murder because all of the proof lies right on the police officers chest. At least 60% of local police use cameras on the dashboard and its unclear how many are currently using chest cameras (Vicens). Chest cameras are in the range of $100-$1000 which is relatively cheap compared to dashboard cameras that can cost upwards of several thousand dollars. The problem with cameras on dashboards is that they don’t capture footage of a foot pursuit or when the police cruiser is abandoned to approach someone on foot. These body cameras are not only cheaper, but are more effective when it comes down to “who shot who” situations or situations that take place in an unmonitored area. Some police departments and officers are against these body cameras for many reasons though. According to Chief David Rahinsky of Grand Rapids Police Department, he has no intention of body cameras anytime soon. Rahinskys main concern is the constant filming of the public and the hazards of recording children, as well as sexual assault/domestic violence victims. Rahinsky also stated “if people know they are being recorded, they won’t be willing to share information needed to solve a case”. The chief didn’t totally rule out the use of body cameras sometime in the future, but he said he “needs more information about when they’ll be activated, how long the