Body Worn Cameras

At first glance, it might be compelling to correlate the cutback in use-of-force incidents and complaints adjacent to the police with the introduction of body cameras. Body-worn camera video provides quantitative data on rates and types of confrontation that may explain imbalances in use of force between individual officers. During these studies, the experimental period was approximately one year, which was held during 2012-2013. Table 3: use of force, citizens’ complaints, and police public raw figures exhibit group assignment experimental shifts or control shifts was the independent variable, while the number of use of force incidents and the number of citizens’ complaints was used as the dependent variable. The table provides information

This article describes how the increase of body cameras will help reduce police misconduct by recording police-citizen encounters, and serving as evidence of what happened. This article also talks about the complications that it contains. One of the complications are the privacy concerns, many people say they don't want their police encounters to be all over social media. It also says that body cameras are not the only thing that will make officers behave, it says they also need reforms of use-of-force policy and training. Even though there are many privacy concerns experts have said that those concerns can be resolved with the right policies. This is a great article to use because it appeals to

I selected an article about police body cameras. The article cited several studies, as well as the authors’ ideas and thoughts. The article, titled Police Body Cameras, is part of the CATO Institute’s National Police Misconduct Reporting Project, and prepared by Matthew Feeney in 2015. The theme throughout the article is that the use of body cameras will reduce police misconduct. Although we all hope this is the case, we must also look at the other issues involved with the wearing of body cameras. In an effort to gain citizen buy-in and obtain their opinions, they conducted surveys. Interestingly enough, most people did not want the officers to record them, unless it was during an enforcement encounter, such as a traffic stop or arrest situation.

Fortunately for me, I was able to compile an ample amount of research from my Anointed Bibliography, however, it lacked crucial data, more so, the thoughts of law enforcement officers in my local community. My plan of attack focuses on the views of both the police and the public about body-worn police cameras. I shall create surveys in which I intend on distributing throughout three random neighborhoods of various economic and social backgrounds which includes poor, middle class, and wealthy communities in and around the Phoenix area. I plan to survey at least twenty-five people from each neighborhood by on going door to door in the communities which will be determined at a later date. The surveys will consist of five closed ended yes or no questions that include; Question 1: At this time, are you happy with the police and policing they do in your community? Question 2: Do you think that body-worn police cameras help the police, the people in their community or both? Question 3: Would you like to see police in your community implement a body-worn camera policy if they do not already have one in place? Question 4: Have you ever had any encounters with the police? Question 5: If you answered yes to Question4, Do you believe that had the officer been required to wear a body-worn camera, the encounter would have turned out differently for the better, worse or the same outcome?

In 2015, Ready and Young did a research to explain how body cameras influence police-citizen interactions. They conclude that officers assigned to wear body cameras conducted less “stop-and-frisks” and made less arrests than officers who didn’t were the video cameras. They suggest that the reason of that was because they were more carefully and they didn’t want to take risks. They also issued more citations for ordinance violations, did more interactions with people and they perceived the camera as a helpful device while they were interacting with citizens. It seems that the camera-wearing officers and non-camera-wearing officers didn’t change their behavior when they had to give verbal warnings to citizens. The authors think that the fact of wear a camera that records all you do, can condition the behavior of the officers (The Hawthorne effect), making them act more carefully about criminal policy and procedures and being more

The officers provide protection for the community, and when they are put in danger they should feel like a camera or other device has their back. The article“Body Cameras Will Stop Police Brutality” talks about studies that have been conducted to show the effects of police body cameras. The author affirms, “Studies done in localities that have implemented body-worn cameras have shown a positive impact by demonstrating a commitment to transparency and accountability and helping to de-escalate potentially tense interactions” (1). As aforementioned body cameras have been touted as an effective method to help the defender if a cop has done wrong. Now body cameras not only defend one side but both. The use of body cameras can physically protect a police officer; in this instance the perpetrator is more willing to be arrested when he or she knows they are on tape. Additionally, author Tsin Yen Koh brings up the idea that a suspect behaves better on

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

Chaz Kelsh. "Do Body Cameras Change How Police Interact with the Public?" N.p., 2 Oct. 2015. Web.

Researchers utilized random methodologies equipping police officers with body-cameras. They reviewed patrol activities over the coarse of twelve months prior as well. Police officers outfitted with cameras seen a drop in resistance by citizens during encounters as well as reduction in complaints. The majority of the officers selected to participate in the study were white males in their mid thirties, which represents the majority of law enforcement officers in the United

“The San Diego Police Department says that since officers began wearing body cameras nearly three years ago, there have been significant decreases in misconduct allegations and high-level uses of force” (Garrick 1). Along with reducing use of high level force by 16.4% (Garrick 1), body cameras can help prevent serious crime from happening or creating excessive tension. As Rachel Idowu said, “At some point, Boston could have a Ferguson [a killing at the hands of police]. Let’s put the cameras on to prevent that from happening. Rather than be reactive, let’s be proactive” (Marcelo 2). Body cameras also help maintain order by reducing the number of allegations made. According to a report done in San Diego, misconduct allegations decreased by 43.1% from 2013 to 2016 and more serious allegations went down 47.4 %. (Garrick 1). All of these factors are due to police body cameras, which help maintain order in

  Introduction The Issue Lately, mainstream media outlets have deeply covered recent officer involved shootings and use of force events by police. As a result, much of the public has latched onto the idea that police officers should be required to wear body cameras, which the public believes will somehow miraculously stop any excessive use of force by police. Are police body cameras really the answer, or is this our “human tendency, in times of tragedy, to latch on to the

They have the power and responsibility to use the force, but citizens expect them to use the amount of force that is proportional, reasonable and necessary for the situation. However, the used of body cameras on police officers will reduce police misconduct like the use of offensive language, including racial slurs, or act with more force than necessary during encounters with citizens. These cameras will keep track of what the officer says or does when at the scene of the crime, keeping them liable. Police Foundation Executive Fellow, Chief Tony Farrar, wanted to test out this theory with a yearlong study. The cameras were distributed to all the patrol officers of the California Rialto Police Department. During their 12 month test period they were haphazardly assigned to experimental or control conditions to see the results and after the test period ended, the results showed very interesting results. “The findings suggest more than a 50% reduction in the total number of incidents of use-of-force compared to control-conditions, and nearly ten times more citizens’ complaints in the 12-months prior to the experiment.” says Chief Farrar (Ariel, et al). Law enforcement officers improved their behavior when using cameras by simply knowing that someone would see their behavior and their performance as officers when the supervisor or the officer in charge was reviewing the camera when your turn

This experiment was conducted to see if the body cameras would improve relationships with the public. “BWCs were allocated to all frontline officers in one for a period of six months (July 23, 2014–December 15, 2014), but not to any other frontline officers of the other five geographic districts ( officers=513). The single geographic district was therefore the treatment area, while each of the five other districts served as comparison sites”(). Arrests, complaints, 911 calls and the use of force were monitored through the cameras to improve the results of the BWC experiments. So far, the results of the experiments turned out to be neutral; the BWC experiment did not see a significant increase or decrease of calls or arrests, but complaints

The colors red, white, and blue in America represents freedom. When a police officer approaches a civilian in today’s times, those colors mean the absolute worst. With recent police mischief including shootings, red, white, and blue could mean absolute panic. Americans today feel as if there is a war with police officers. The most common question civilians have, why are innocent people being killed by police officers? The civic responsibility of a police officer is to serve and protect citizens while upholding the law. With many recent incidents, civilians no longer feel safe around authorities. A new policy proposed to congress by Barack Obama is for police officers to wear body worn cameras, or BWC’s. “... nine in ten Americans support the use of cameras on cops” (Boone). Therefore, police officers should be required to wear body worn cameras in order to have better security, behavior, and evidence for crime scenes.

As stated by T. Blauer, “Control the mind and you control the behavior”. This quote is relevant because it applies to the way people behave when they know they are being watched. Body cameras are small camcorders law enforcement officers wear with their uniform. Evidence given by body cameras can help defend an officer and his or her job. Citizens will also be benefitted and protected. As a result, officer behavior and work ethic can be refined. Despite the advantages of body cameras, opposition is at hand due to privacy concerns. Police officers should be required to wear body cameras to protect citizens and themselves.