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Police Brutality

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Police misconduct is the process of committing a crime and/or not following police department policy guidelines and regulations in the course of one’s officer duties. Many believe that police misconduct is in cases few and far apart, and because of the Civil Rights Movement of 1964, there is no reason to question officer’s racial bias. Some argue that excessive police force is justified, or that the murder of unarmed black men is okay because of their “questionable characters.” Other individuals may also argue that police brutality is just a “fact of life” and an “occasional slip-up” without a solution, or even a need for one. Police brutality is a real, persistent problem in the United States. Each year thousands of innocent people, specifically …show more content…

Body cameras are attached to an officer’s uniform and, although it isn’t a popular solution, the results so far are promising. There are concerns involving privacy of officers and civilians, but this should be overcome considering this involves the lives of thousands of Americans who are victims of police brutality every year. One particular study highlights the outcome of body cameras, “In particular, a year after the Rialto, California, police department began requiring all officers to wear body cameras, use of force by officers fell by 60% and citizen complaints dropped by nearly 90%” (“Excessive or reasonable force by police?” 6). Although price is a concern, the effects clearly pay themselves off in the long-term. The advancing technology has also been able to capture cases of police misconduct, for example the case of Eric Garner, who was captured on camera being tackled, choked, and then killed by officers despite his repeated cry of “I can’t breathe.” This was highlighted in the article, “Police Misconduct,” where it is stated that police and cellphone cameras have helped officers keep themselves in-check by strengthening their accountability (“Police Misconduct” 2). The officers who attacked Garner then had to take responsibility for their actions, and were punished. Body cameras remove some of the immunity that officers have, and they’re no longer above the law. Also, on the part of the citizens, body cameras help to strengthen their accountability as well. In the use of body cameras, citizens behave better, officers behave better, and citizens are less likely to file petty complaints against officers with cameras (“Excessive or reasonable force by police?” 6). The idea of body cameras is beneficial on both sides, and if implemented around the country could preserve the well-being of

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