Police Cameras, An Important Element That Helps Others Essay

“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

To peep or not to peep, that is the question being asked by many regarding police body cameras in communities. The topic of police brutality is a rising issue in today’s society. Several questions have arose over the use of police body cameras and whether they are a good or bad idea. Police body cameras have has a variety of concern to many communities regarding their potential. Every city has a different trust and relationship for their police force and these concerns vary depending on the community. People have the concern regarding privacy, protection, and impact on the community and more. After researching the problems caused by Police body cameras as well as its background, the current state of the issue, and the potential solutions, it is clear that communities need to bring a solution to this situation.Such as laws, policies, rules, and more to control this new information.

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.

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.

Body cameras on police officers in this day and age should be required for all departments. Body cameras should be worn to not only protect the officers but also the civilians that come into contact with police officers. It can give valuable information on what happened during an interaction between the public and law enforcement. This can protect the citizens from abuse by the police, as well as give necessary information into officer related shootings. All states should require their branches of law enforcement to require body cameras while on duty.

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

There have been many incidents in the past couple years that have dealt with police misconduct. Police should wear body mounted cameras to reduce the cases of officers getting away with any misconduct, and to also provide more evidence to the case. Stats have shown that police were less likely to use unneeded force when wearing a body mounted camera. Stats also showed that civilians complaints of police misconduct also lowered when police were wearing cameras. In many cases Body Mounted Cameras have helped provide more evidence, which has helped the right decision be made. My final supporting solution is that civilians are more in favor of police officers wearing Body Mounted Cameras than against it.

The main purpose of putting cameras on police officers is to provide accountability for actions by the police and suspects. Holding police officers accountable for misconduct will help rebuild crumbling public trust in law enforcement. Cases of excessive use of force can be reviewed from video evidence instead of the account of the officer, who may attempt to protect himself, or witnesses, who may have the complete unfolding of events or have a bias against law enforcement. The shooting of Michael Brown by Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson was one of many police use-of-force cases that sparked protests against the law enforcement, citing seemingly racist conduct by the Ferguson Police Department.

Should police officers be required to wear cameras while on duty? Police stations in all states should agree on letting officers wear a body cam that are the size of a cigarette stick that can be attached to hats, helmet, or the collars on their uniforms. That way the camera is small and convenient. The cameras on these police officers will be able to keep track of all the evidence from the scene of the crime and will guarantee accurate statements and facial recognition from the victims and witnesses. Therefore, instead of relying on somebody else’s partial picture of what happened, why not have your own? The use of body cams while on-duty provides valuable evidence in obtaining accurate witness and victim statements, may help prevent and de-escalate confrontational situations between officers and civilians, and video footage captured may help speed up court proceedings by providing indisputable proof of situations.

The researcher has decided to research whether or not the wearing of body cameras helps or hinders a Phoenix PD officer’s performance within in the field. Due to the cost of the thousands of body cameras being purchased by the taxpayers as well as the safety of the police officers, it is important to study the effectiveness of them. A body camera is defined as “a small video camera worn on the body, typically used by police officers to record arrests, evidence from crime scenes, etc.” (Oxford Dictionaries).

Police body cams can make a difference in society and make it safer for the coming generations and since the technology is becoming better then the police officers will have better technology and improve the cams and make them better for the officers. These body cams can be improved by making them record more longer and make then have a longer battery charging power. Police officers feel that they should wear these cams that way there’s not that much hatred on them because of the murders of some African Americans that other officers did. Also they feel that these cams will make a change in them and make the police officers better in making them feel that they are being protected with these cams. These cams can also work for making them more usable in all the states and officers actually using them because these cams can make a difference in the police systems around the states.