Police brutality and the use of force is a big problem in American today, so police departments are taking a few steps to prevent this from happening. There are multiple cases where some police officers’ actions are questioned, leading to an untrusting public. No matter if it was racial, hate, a mentally unstable police officer, or the police officer was just doing their job, there’s an easy way to find out now. Body cameras are being used in various cities and states and have proved to keep the level of police brutality and injustice down.
The cameras are tiny portable devices, about the size and length of a cigarette stick, which can be easily mounted on sunglasses, clipped to hats or helmets, or attached to uniform collars or lapels. (TeenInk, 2017) The base of the recording device is wired and attached to the officer’s uniform and sits concealed in a pocket. It can record high-quality video even in low lighting conditions such as at night or a dark vehicle interior, and also provides an interface for the officer’s two-way radio. The objective of body cameras is to deliver an accurate record of officer engagements for complete situational awareness and tamper proof digital evidence. A well-known example of police brutality and injustice is the Trayvon Martin case. On the night of February 26, 2012, there was a struggle between the teenager and George Zimmerman. This eventually led to Martin’s death. (Law, 2017) Arguments say that if there had been the use of body cameras this wouldn’t have happened. Another example is Michael Brown
who was shot 12 times by officer Darren Wilson. It isn’t quite clear what happened, but again, the use of body cameras would tell. (Law, 2017)
Implementing the use of body cameras has several advantages. First, a clear picture. The camera can’t pick up absolutely everything, but it can give a much clearer picture of what actually happened. This would help juries understand what happened in the incident and it would remove a lot of uncertainty. This would also help to speed up court proceedings by providing solid and factual evidence. Second, improved behavior. People tend to behave a lot better if they know they’re being watched. Those who are being filmed are less likely to
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
Police brutality is a very widespread topic through all religions, all kinds of different cultures and all races. People believe that police officers use their powers and their badge to hold them to a higher standard then the average civilian. I belief that its all up to interpretation and the many experiences we go through that define a bad cop from a good one. If we judge all police officers from one bad cop how do we expect to change? Its a never ending cycle that has to change and heres some examples on how we can do so.
August 9, 2014 Michael Brown, a 18- year old black man was shot and killed, brutally at the hands of police officer Darren Wilson. Brown was leaving the gas station when he caught the attention of Wilson, who was supposed to be responding to another call. He thought Brown looked suspicious because he was a big, black “intimidating” man. Wilson “claimed” Brown was reaching for a gun so he fired twelve unnecessary shots at Brown while his hands were up. It turns out that Brown was not in possession of a weapon. Darren Wilson made up this allegation to make it seem like self defense, and to make Brown seem at fault for the shooting taking place. When Wilson went to trial the court found him not guilty. White police officers are not beingg held accountable so these police shootings are becoming more brutal and frequent. The Mike Brown
“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
Making sure that every officer has a body camera will cut down on brutality and excessive force, making it safer for the officer and the civilian or suspect. With proper tranning it will create more accountability and cost will also be cut from false accusations creating better edvidence.
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
In many countries, laws are intact to help protect against unlawful brutality. Unfortunately, with these laws complaints made by civilians about excessive brutality used are typically still not investigated. (Cothran, Helen 28.) Because police have the authority to use force when necessary, it is difficult to prove that police brutality has occurred. Interactions with civilians are recorded now by officers and later interactions can be reviewed in the case of an investigation. (Cothran, Helen 18.). While this may be the case for certain incidents, 78 percent of law enforcement feel as though police brutality is mainly an issue brought to light specifically by the news before any
a few years now, police brutality has become an extremely controversial topic and has raised many debates and questions about law enforcement and civilians. Police brutality has been common for decades. However after the death of African Americans such as Michael Brown, Alton Sterling, and Philando Castile, many other African Americans have rose up in protest and anger. The anger stems from these men dying at the hands of police which the civilians believe they died from situation that should have been handled differently. Cases like these have caused a major divide with African Americans and law enforcement. Many people wonder where the relationship between the two went wrong and how police brutality became such a big issue that seems impossible
To begin the police has caused many unnecessary deaths throughout the United States. More than 920 people have been killed by the police in 2015 (“5 Facts about Police Brutality in the United States That Will Shock You”). In Ferguson, Missouri 18 year old Michael Brown was shot and killed by police officer Darren Wilson. Mr. Johnson a witness at the scene, says that his friend was shot once from behind and then turned to face the police officer while raising his arms in the air. According to Mr Johnson, the officer fired several more shots at Mr. Brown before he fell to the ground (“Ferguson protests:What we know about Michael Brown 's last minutes”). Although Mr. Brown was fleeing from the officer, there was no need for the officer to shoot Brown.
A fairly common recommendation for reducing police misconduct to increase use of body cameras. By recording police-citizen encounters, police supervisors, judges, reporters, and others can get objective evidence of what happened instead of self serving hearsay. Body cameras have been the talk of many police departments among the United States. But not everyone has tried it out or used it yet, as we can see. Body cameras should be used because citizens are being innocently killed by police, officers are being falsely accused of wrongdoing, and it allows for physical proof of evidence.
Imagine you received mistreatment from a police officer and decide to take legal action against them. The situation becomes their word against yours because there is no evidence to prove the mistreatment you suffered. Not all police officers are out to treat people incorrectly or use excessive force; however, in the cases when they do, there is usually no way to prove that it happened. There are also cases where people say they were mistreated by a police officer, but it is not true. What if there were a way to monitor how cops interact with the public? Body cameras offer a solution to the need to monitor police actions. They capture the truth, whether good or bad, that happens with police officers. Police should wear body cameras to be protected from legal cases, as demonstrated in the case of David Muniz, who was accused of being the reason for a Cleveland man’s death.
Social media has played a role in emphasizing the importance of capturing events on video when the actions of a police officer are questionable. The assumption that body-worn cameras will deter police officers from committing deviant acts is something that would benefit society by holding police officers accountable for actions taken and provide transparency on the conduct of police officers. Background of the Problem The news and social media is constantly showing recordings of police violence occurring in America. Recordings of police officers being filmed using excessive force creates a distrust in society.
Police officers aren’t high schoolers, they have strictly enforced laws about privacy. They aren’t allowed, without authorization of the sheriff, to reveal that recorded information. On the flip side, these could make officers and suspects interact better at traffic stops or calls, because who is going to want recorded proof of them resisting arrest or breaking the law? Not many. Being in a family with a dad and grandpa as police officers, sending them out on calls is the scariest thing I’ve had to do. As a family most of our free time is spent listening to the dispatch radio to see what they have to deal with. Body cameras would help bring a sense of comfort to families with officers, knowing that if something would happen to them that there is evidence of everything that happened. A lot of departments claim that the cost is huge factor, which is understandable for cities like LA or Chicago or even Fort Wayne. A lot of people don’t realize how many officers some cities have, for example, Fort Wayne has approximately 1,800 officers (Garry Hamilton, FWPD Chief). If a camera is $300, that’s $540,000; that’s fourteen brand new 2016 Dodge Chargers (standard issued patrol car). In reality, who wouldn’t go with the new patrol cars? Some cities, like Fort Wayne, still have the basic 2002 Ford Interceptors, which are starting to get outran by
Police abusing their power is certainly not a recent issue, and public outrage over such cases is most definitely not a recent development. On March 3, 1993, four police officers were filmed beating Rodney King, an unarmed black 25 year old, resulting in a broken leg and multiple bruises (Adams). All four officers were acquitted of the beating by a predominantly white jury in April of 1992 (Adams). Once the word got out, the city of Los Angeles was consumed by a devastating riot that lasted three days (Adams). As a result of the riot, 55 people died and over 2000 were injured (Adams). This example proves that the issue of
A common issue presented in today’s national media is police brutality. Police brutality is the use of unnecessary force on civilians by police. The concept of having police officers is to ensure safety and protection of citizens. Police should only use force necessary to accomplish their lawful purpose. The common occurrence of police brutality has sparked responses nationwide in the form of protests, riots, and movements to end the excessive and sometimes fatal force of police officers. The public rallies are also in response to lack of conviction or repercussions of many of the cops who demonstrate unjust police brutality. These incidents are also commonly associated with racial disparity. The headline news stories of the shooting and killing of unarmed African Americans, Michael Brown, Eric Garner, and twelve year old Tamir Rice, all in the same year, prompted citizens nationwide that change in the law enforcement system is necessary. While a majority of police abide to their oaths and stand for justice, a noticeable amount have historically misused their power. If a community cannot trust police officers, it will be detrimental for society as a whole.