Should The Senate Approve Bill S. 877, Police Camera Act?

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.

Over the last few years there has been much controversy leading up to the need for law enforcement officers to wear body cameras. This is not only for citizens but also for the officers’ protection. With so much debate regarding police brutality and excessive force body cameras are quickly on the rise. New technology is giving police on a state and federal level a new opportunity to cut back on some of the allegations and negativity we have seen in the last few years. On the other hand it is giving citizens all over the country the safety they should feel when being approached by law enforcement. Our technology has improved significantly over the years and this seems to be something that will benefit everyone.

The social media and the public might want police body cam footage release but sometimes it might be to graphic or controversial. Police body cameras have been a topic since the incident with Michael Brown in august of 2014. Police shot and killed an unarmed individual in ferguson, MO, leading to many people wanting cameras on police. Whether the cameras are a good idea or not this paper will explore the facts and sides of police body cameras. Overall body cameras should be required Because they can save the lives of the innocent, keep innocent people from going to jail, and can help a case as more evidence.

There is so much crime which occurs in our society today, which it is very difficult to put an end to it. But there is a thing which is common among these crimes which are the criminals. According to the article, "Police body Cams: Solution or scam? Nwanevu the author has stated many questions to which he gathers the responses from three panels who is Mariame Kaba a member of the Chicago antipolice violence organization, David Fleck a vice president and he is also a major manufacturer of the police body cameras, and Connor Boyack who is a president of Utah 's Liberates Institute. This article mentions the popular magazine such as Time magazine, this magazine reports that over a quarter of the country 's police departments are already testing or actively using cameras, including the NYPD and the LAPD (Nwanevu, 2015). Also the author Nwanevu states that The Obama administration has called for the federal funding to support the deployment of as many as 50,000 devices to state and local law enforcement agencies. The administration 's reasoning captures the perspective of most camera supporters. According to the status the usage by police officers will help sustain trust between law enforcement agencies and the communities they interact with (Nwanevu, 2015). Reformers have suggested that the video could have gone a long way towards resolving the ambiguities of the Michael Brown case where eyewitnesses had given conflicting stories and also the death of Eric Garner according to

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.

I selected an article about police body cameras. The article cited several studies, as well as the authors’ ideas and thoughts. The article, titled Police Body Cameras, is part of the CATO Institute’s National Police Misconduct Reporting Project, and prepared by Matthew Feeney in 2015. The theme throughout the article is that the use of body cameras will reduce police misconduct. Although we all hope this is the case, we must also look at the other issues involved with the wearing of body cameras. In an effort to gain citizen buy-in and obtain their opinions, they conducted surveys. Interestingly enough, most people did not want the officers to record them, unless it was during an enforcement encounter, such as a traffic stop or arrest situation.

The AP analysis of legislation passed in all 50 states found the greatest interest in officer cameras that can capture what transpires between police and civilians. Sixteen states passed body-camera measures this year, ranging from resolutions merely creating study panels to state grants subsidizing cameras and new laws on how they can be used. Numerous cities from coast-to-coast, including Ferguson, also began using the cameras without waiting for legislative

Many departments are claiming there isn’t enough funding to support the addition of cameras for the officers. As of Friday April 29, 2016 President Barack Obama and his team requested to begin funding the police body camera project. [4]“The Justice Department announced its providing $20 million to police departments for body cameras, the first installment in a three year program budgeted at $75 million.”[4] A couple weeks later a Grand Old Party(GOP) – controlled House panel reduced president Obama's request significantly but approved a new revised version. [5]“The bill establishes a $50 million fund to improve police-community relations through state grants to assess and improve their justice systems...Some $15 million would go to help local police departments buy body cameras... , half of president Obama's request.”[5]

Moreover, to stop the crime and police brutality, body cameras would not be a bad idea if they were to be taken a step forward. Nancy La Vigne writer of “Body Cameras for Police Could Be One Smart Step” talks about supervisors monitoring the cameras in case an altercation were to happen (6). Nancy also talks about body cameras invading constitutional rights of the citizens. Vigne writes, “Body cameras will capture not just an officers actions, but also those of the citizens with whom they interact – or even individuals walking by or in the background” (Vigne). Nancy’s point is that with the body cameras and civilians being recorded, should the citizens know they are being recorded. Another solution for the body cameras to be able to work would be for the cops to have no access to the cameras.

With so many incidents occurring between law enforcement and civilians, it’s about time we have our officers wear body cameras. Law enforcement wants to use body cameras, many politicians are in favor for them, Civil-rights groups are advocating them, and communities that already have a strong police presence in their neighborhoods are requesting that the police get cameras now. With the uproar of law enforcement and the death of many black American’s, body cameras can be very useful. There is always that missing link when trying to put these horrible moments back together. Far too many times we end up with the suspect dead and only get one side of the story. With the use of body cameras, we can now get more insight on the events that happen (Boyd, 2015).

Public Wants Body Cameras on Police Officers Every eight hours an American is killed by a police officer (“Stats”). There have been plenty of conversations on whether or not police should be required to have body cameras. Many people agree that this is something that should be considered. Some causes of the public wanting police body cameras is due to the latest events of police brutality, for their own safety, and so that they will have evidence of their innocence in similar situations.

Millions of free citizens around the world have reported misconduct by law enforcement officers. In the United States alone, 8,800 officers have been reported as using excessive force when performing their job (Packman). One of the major causes of excessive use of force by the police is anxiety and rage brought on by low compensation. The police is a force that is meant to protect the people against threats, not to be a threat. Police are not compensated enough for the dangerous job they dedicate themselves to perform each day. The Federal Government should provide a safe environment to properly maintain a lawful country. When police do not perform their job correctly, the environment is not safe. Therefore, the Federal Government needs to

Twenty five percent of the nation's police forces have some sort of body cameras. Every day people are saying they are not believable. We need to stand together to make everyone have them. The police need to wear body cameras for civilians safety and to show evidence to prove the police are doing there job.

Fortunately for me, I was able to compile an ample amount of research from my Anointed Bibliography, however, it lacked crucial data, more so, the thoughts of law enforcement officers in my local community. My plan of attack focuses on the views of both the police and the public about body-worn police cameras. I shall create surveys in which I intend on distributing throughout three random neighborhoods of various economic and social backgrounds which includes poor, middle class, and wealthy communities in and around the Phoenix area. I plan to survey at least twenty-five people from each neighborhood by on going door to door in the communities which will be determined at a later date. The surveys will consist of five closed ended yes or no questions that include; Question 1: At this time, are you happy with the police and policing they do in your community? Question 2: Do you think that body-worn police cameras help the police, the people in their community or both? Question 3: Would you like to see police in your community implement a body-worn camera policy if they do not already have one in place? Question 4: Have you ever had any encounters with the police? Question 5: If you answered yes to Question4, Do you believe that had the officer been required to wear a body-worn camera, the encounter would have turned out differently for the better, worse or the same outcome?

Others are questioning if we should actually be putting our police officers under such a massive microscope. Retorting phrases such as, how are they going to do their jobs with people over their shoulders? Body cams have been distributed to some police departments in different many different counties and states, but they are not mandatory. I believe officers should wear body cams, for the sake of the accused and the officer. People propose body cams as a solution to the problem.