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The Use Of Excessive Force By The Police, Particularly

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The use of excessive force by the police, particularly in the Unites States has been under much scrutiny and criticism. The implementation of police worn body cameras were introduced as a way to not only improve the safety of the police officers but most importantly to make them accountable for their own misconduct. The presence of a body cam worn by police either during an altercation or on duty, in theory should mean that there would be less of a likelihood of an officer committing any form of misconduct, as this means that the public would also be able to see the footage and the officer would and could be held liable for their actions. The reality of using body cams worn by police and their effectiveness in achieving these goals are…show more content…
“Body-worn cameras capture in real time the potentially traumatic experiences of citizens who are victims of a crime, those who are involved in medical emergencies and accidents, or those who are being detained or arrested”, (White 2014, p.27). While there are certainly many negative issues that arise from the use of body worn cameras, they are also positives to its use as well. One of the benefits of using this type of video evidence is that because of the footage available not only with the likelihood of criminals pleading guilty be higher and avoid unnecessary trials, but also that victims themselves would not have to relive the same trauma in a court room again. (2015). The video evidence, if available will provide help with the arrest of the offenders, “as it offers real time, permanent record of the events that transpired”, (White 2014, p. 24). No second guessing is necessary when legitimate video evidence is available. When used correctly and the public is able to have access to the camera footage, this allows for transparency between the police and the public, as it allows for the police to beheld accountable for their actions from the perspective of the citizens, thus improving police legitimacy. Although it is important to note here that very little research has been done surround this aspect. The more transparent the police force appear to the public, the increased likelihood that the trust in-between them will increase. “Reductions in both
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