Essay On Should Police Wear Body Cameras

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

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.

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.

Historically speaking, authorities of the law were never in a position where their professional duties and their character as a public servant of the law were demeaned in a way that there needs to be constant surveillance of them and the people whom they come into contact with. There was never a need of documenting every encounter you had with a civilian before. In this day in age, things have certainly changed, and the past has always been something society likes to change and make better even if it raises concerns. Due to all the violent police stories that has surfaced in the past decade, the idea of having police officers wear video cameras as a part of their uniform while on duty has resulted in a radically divergent account of society’s future. The law may uphold cops to wear cameras while working, but is this really the best decision? This topic is very controversial and may create issues with cops and the civilians they try and protect in the future.

The dispute of police body cameras truly hit the media hard this week. Blasting from the headlines all citizens were aware that Michael Brown was lethally shot in Ferguson, Missouri. This prompted officers to become fortified with body cameras. This technologically progressive world that we live in today has shaped a world of tweeting, posting and uploading. It’s about time that police departments take advantage of the tools accessible to them, especially with the advancement of equipment. The move forward in technology will help to alleviate speculation on any misconduct perpetrated. There now will be hard honest evidence of any crime committed against a police officer.

Police brutality is a big problem, not only in the USA, but also around the world. There have been lots of effort to change this, from police departments to governments, to communities. One such effort has been the addition of body-worn cameras to the uniforms of police officers, in order to enforce accountability. This makes it so that, if there were a controversial case questioning whether the force displayed by an officer was warranted or not, there would be a video of the encounter, which is often more reliable evidence than the word of an officer or civilian. Despite the cost, mandating body-worn cameras for on-duty officers would benefit everyone involved, since there would be far less room for false or inaccurate claims made by

In February 2012, the Rialto California police department started supplying their officers with cameras they could clip on to their uniforms. At any given time, about half of their active duty officers wore these cameras. They found, in a twelve month period, that the department overall "had an 88 percent decline in the number of complaints filed against the officers". (Stross, R. 2013, April 6). They also had a 60 percent decline in the use of force by officers. They also found that officers wearing a camera were half as likely to use force as oppose to officers not wearing one. This is clear evidence that police wearing body cameras is a good

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

The following is an example of a situation. A police officer who is out on patrol sees a pedestrian acting very suspicious. Even with calling back up to handle the situation, it goes out of control and the civilian attacks the police officer. The officers try to control the civilian, then he is eventually arrested. By the time the case goes to court, the man changes his story and says the officers attacked him. With body cameras on police officers to capture the situation, it can ensure the truth in the situation. Police stations in all the states should agree on letting officers to wear a recording system or body cameras that are the size of a cigarette stick that can be attached to helmets, hats or even the collars on their uniforms. It keeps track of the evidence at the scene, always surveys the actions of the officer and it would enhance the trust of the public.

Body cameras “can serve to check against the abuse of power by police” (Stanley, “Police Body-Mounted Cameras: With Right Policies in Place, A Win for All”). Also, like previously stated, people are less likely to behave bad if being watched or recorded (Mims). Studies show that “body cameras can help de-escalate tense situations and make both officers and civilians behave better” (Majerol, “Should Police Wear Body Cameras?”). Although other issues like maintaining privacy and making sure officers can’t manipulate recordings need to be balanced, the benefits should outweigh the

Today we hear so much on the issue of police brutality and recent cases where notice lives have been lost therefore there is the current talk of incorporating police body cameras. Since the major event that occurred on August 9th in 2014, where an 18-year-old boy named Michael Brown who was shot by Officer Wilson in Ferguson, Missouri many people around the nation believed that if there has been any footage of that day, Officer Wilson would be able to show and demonstrate his actions without any doubt. “Post-Ferguson, body cameras became a hot topic nationally. In December, the White House proposed spending $263 million to help police agencies arm themselves with cameras… in Ferguson, 30 of 54 police began wearing cameras.” (Ponsi) Still, there

Excessive force from police officers has been a concern for many areas in the U.S. in recent years, resulting in protests and unnecessary deaths. A handful of incidents in places such as Ferguson and Baltimore have left many in America distrustful of law enforcement procedures and how some officers handle potentially dangerous situations. One solution proposed to this issue is to equip police officers with body cameras to record the actions of officers. Frank Scalise, author of his book on police body cameras, explains, “Body worn video in a police environment is a relatively new technology. Because of the great potential value in its use, both police agencies and communities are exploring implementing programs.” This idea can seem perfect at first, but others have concerns. Some argue that there are no formal policies for these cameras, and many are concerned with how expensive they are. However, if these challenges can be overcome, the potential benefits of police body cameras are significant in the areas of gathering accurate evidence at crime scenes, resolving the expenses of public complaints, improving officer training, and reforming the way officers act towards citizens.