Efficacy Of Body Cameras On The Police Officer Essay

Body cameras can hold police officers accountable for their actions, both the good and the bad. “Continuously wearing body cameras would hold police accountable for their appropriate, and inappropriate, conduct” (Buam). Also when the citizens make accusations they could pull the video from the camera and see whether the police officer did what they said they did or not. “Video recorded by body cams protect any false accusations, misconduct, or abuse

“There have been other high-profile instances of officers not turning on cameras. One officer involved in the shooting of a 22-year-old black man in the small city of Saratoga Springs, Utah, in September didn't turn on his body camera. A second officer involved in the incident had no camera” (Jackson). Body Cameras could help officers make their jobs easier by keeping civilians more civil. Body Cameras would help show if they unnecessary force against civilians. The more use of body cameras would help improve behaviors of officers who are using excessive force for no

Across the country a growing number of legislative departments have been debating about the pros and cons of police body cameras. This paper will further explore benefits, as well as the downfalls of using such devices. This paper will also look at specific cases and examine whether or not body cameras were helpful in various situations. It will examine if they were a deterrent in cases dealing with police brutality and domestic violence. It also looks at how they could be misused and assisting some officers in covering up their corrupt behavior.

Within recent years there has been much controversy surrounding police officers and whether or not they should be wearing body cameras to document their everyday interactions with the public. While the use of body cameras may seem to invade the public or police privacy. Police-worn body cameras will be beneficial to law enforcement and civilians all over the world. Police must be equipped with body cameras to alleviate any doubt in the effectiveness of officers. Law enforcement worn body cameras would enhance the trust of the public by keeping both the officers and the citizens accountable for their actions, providing evidence, and helping protect them from false accusations, while protecting privacy

In today 's society, one highly debatable topic is whether or not law enforcement agents should wear body cameras. Most cameras used by law enforcement agencies across the country record audio and video, therefore, the cameras see and hear nearly everything a law enforcement officer does. There are many advantages to law enforcement personnel using body cameras while on duty because it holds the officers accountable, is used to document the contact made between the officers and the victims and/or suspects, supports the “use of force” action, keeps the officers and citizens honest, and the videos can even be used for training for other officers.

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 are proven to make policemen act better while they’re are on duty. “Police officers "tend to behave a little better"(Kon, Body Cameras for Police Officers). if they know their behavior is being recorded on camera” stated author Tsin Yen Kon. Police will act better cause they know they are being “watched”. Just like when a student has a parent to sit in their class, they act very well, police do the same. Police will also act right, because they don’t want to lose their jobs or get fired because some careless mistake that they made while on camera. “When police officers are acutely aware that their behavior is being monitored (because they turn on the cameras), and when officers tell citizens that the cameras are recording their behavior, everyone behaves better” (Knickerbocker). Brad Knickerbocker, the author, explains how both sides of the camera, police, and criminal will have an effect on their behavior because they know that they are being watched, and recorded. When people know they are being watched, it is like they get scared, because they don't want anything to be used against them. Although cameras will make police act better, people will still think that police brutality will still happen.

Rialto, California is an example of a city with positive results from the use of body-cameras. In Rialto, police began wearing body-cameras a little less than three years ago. As a result of officers wearing body-cameras, citizens’ complaints against police officers dropped 88 percent and use of force by police officers dropped 60 percent from the previous 12 month period when body-cameras were not in use. Rialto’s police chief said, “When you put a camera on a police officer, they tend to behave a little better, follow the rules a little better. And if the citizen knows the officer is wearing a camera, chances are the citizen will behave a little better” (Lovett).

The body camera has become a popular choice amongst police departments worldwide. The situation of the scenario, and if the officer or suspect acted in the right can be determined from past footage. The cause of the body camera has been the allegations against officers for how they acted in certain situations, as well as for how the suspect acted during the callout. The effect has been officers being terminated due to lack of integrity or situational awareness, as well as officer safety. Suspects have also been convicted of false accusations against a police officer, as well as crimes presented in court, from fights, to officer involved shootings. The body worn camera has benefited both police officers and the general public.

Growing up was a little boy who had a dream that wanted to become a hero, a hero that helps and save lives, a hero that is willing to a take risk for his country. A hero willing to save their family and friends . A Police officer was made to enforce the law, to serve and protect from crime and to stop all the killing and the violence. As soon start to get a little older,started to understand more and seeing them on the news saw the police were killing citizens, beating up teenagers, accusing others of having drugs and police were also dope dealing. My dream of becoming a police was fading away, my hero days were crushed and thinking police was our hero’s. Police were not creating justice in our cities.

(Weisburg) As a result, studies have shown, that citizens have developed comfort towards officers equipped with body cameras. (Fullerton Police Department) This new found trust has the ability to change the mindset of a community in a positive manner. (Mims) This alone could help revive a community such as Ferguson, that has been in shambles ever since Michael Brown was killed. Officer Drumond a highly respected officer at Sherwood said “I support body cameras and find it very comforting that everything I do is on camera”. (Weisburg) If body cameras can give officers a sense of comfort it can help improve their work ethic as well as keep them relaxed while on shift. This can lead to trust between officers and the community. Ultimately, body cameras have the ability to restore trust in a community as well as keep both citizens and officers acting within the law.

Body cameras are a source of evidence of what happens when a police officer is investigating a crime. They offer the potential to provide more accurate depiction of the moment of police brutality. Police body cameras are a solution to helping police officers reduce police misconduct through recording police and citizen encounters, as well as building trust in the community. Secondly, the best use of this information is by having the camera on while on duty, officers can document incidents as they occur, and if a shooting takes place, juries will have evidence of these interactions on tape. Furthermore, body cameras may also encourage police to be more consistently conscious and diligent towards their responsibilities, as their every move will be recorded.

There’s a huge controversy nowadays with police body cameras. These devices should be effective right? Well, there are counter-arguments that explains why it’s not. Law enforcement is a difficult field to be in period, especially right now with all the murders police officers have committed in the past few years. The police always had a bad reputation, but within these past years, it has become terrible.

Polices wearing body cameras is very important for society today, not just for the United States but also a cross the world. Today all the new covered about law enforcement is just negatively and it comes with video showing police officers interacting with citizens. (Lina Park personal interview), said that she visited Vietnam and China in 2014, while on her car traveling from city to city’s, her vehicle was stopped by the police in both countries. They noticed her as a visitor and a citizen of the United States; and they assumed that she would have some money and would probably slip some cash under her car registration. They kept her there for about an hour or so, making issues with her driver license, saying that she is not allow to drive with United State license in their countries, she knew something was up. Park and her friends had their smartphones out, recording the conversations between the officers and themselves. She said that his mood changed after she had the camera on, and the officers let them go nicely and did not make any more problems. This isn’t just happens in some foreign country, it also is happening in the United States. (Journalist’s resource Pra 5) from Justin and Jacob Young of Arizona State University had shown officer worn body cameras making less arrests then officer who did not wear cameras, “Officer assigned to wear cameras issued 23.1% more citations for ordinance violations than those who did not