Police Body Cameras Essay

This is an important debate to many people, because it can change crime rates and rate of police brutality dramatically. If a police officer is wearing a body camera it could save their life because the offender will know they are being watched and probably won’t try to attack the officer. As with any positives, there are negatives, like the expence of the cameras per officer as large. Also, don 't forget that they are an invasion of privacy.

“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.

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.

They can help make sure that any information given from the officers is correct and not incorrect. They can get the full truth in a report given by an officer. With body cameras you can compare the report to the video footage. Body cameras are a very useful tool in the world today.

Due to devastating events that have taken place between the police and civilians in 2015, law enforcements are finding it liable for policeman to be suited with body cameras. They believe doing so will begin to hold policeman more accountable for their actions, reduce police brutality and crime, as well as shedding light on the good cops still out here.

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

One of the biggest things that body cameras offer is the recordings that they give. With this video, there will be solid evidence if any crime is committed by either the officer or the civilian. If a crime is committed then the officers and the civilians are not able to lie about what happened during their encounter with each other,

“The main motive of body cameras is to provide openness and transparency, and build trust in the police, said Samuel Walker. ”citation missing.” Body cameras will help citizens build trust so that they will feel safe in the community and won't be involved in extortion or other possible situations . These cameras can also make the government know how police are doing their job and if they are doing it right and fairly. Another example is the “plan to eliminate any chance of an officer failing to record by using new cameras that begin recording automatically when a patrol car siren is turned on or a gun is removed from its holster.”

Violence is getting greater and greater in today's society with all the shootings and the black lives matter things. There is a growing concern that police are being racist and are hurting african americans. If police were to be wearing body cameras these things would have been brought to justice, but since they weren't wearing body cameras it is a harder decision when in court. Using body cameras will improve compliance, reduce fear of crime in local communities, resolve complaints about the police or wardens more quickly, and reduce assaults on officers.

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.

Even though the benefits outweigh the negatives there are still some negatives that come with every officer being outfitted with body cameras. As pointed out earlier the start out cost and maintenance cost are extremely high, but what most don’t think about is the privacy concerns. Scholars have hinted at the fact that body cameras could infringe on people’s right to privacy. One of these scholars is Marc Blitz, who makes the argument that in some cases police are called to people’s homes, and if that officer was wearing a body camera it could record details and layouts of that person’s home (Blitz, 2015). Lindsay Miller and Jessica Toliver, both scholars working for the Office of Community Oriented Policing Service in Washington D.C. also

Cameras may not just be for capturing the perfect moment in someones life they can save lives as well. They have the power to change society for the better. Police body cameras are the big debate in the United States today. President Obama has made a notion to try to fund these gadgets as we speak. The public wonders if the pros outweigh the cons when it comes to these police cameras. Police cameras are more beneficial to society than they are harmful.

In my opinion, the police body worn camera is advantageous for both police officer and civilians because it gathers strong evidence in a crime scene. Recordings from the camera will be useful for jurors and prosecutor to begin to examine the case they are about to deal. The camera recordings are proof of evidence that tells exactly what happened in a crime scene in additional to eyewitness testimony. In cases like the eyewitness will not remember exactly what happened in the crime scene, the prosecutor has another evidence to look at to solve the case. Also, if ever the police officer will misuse his power, the recordings will prove it. The camera will help police officer to avoid any forceful actions to the suspect. It can help the officer

The use of body-worn cameras has the potential to provide many advantages to law enforcement officers as public safety improvement, make prosecutions more effective by recalling and documenting events, and enhance transparency, accountability and trust, reduce complaints against officers from false allegations and influence the behavior, in a positive way, for both the officer and those being recorded.