Body Cameras Increase Transparency For The Law Enforcement Community

There has been some debate on the matter of whether or not law enforcement officials should wear body cameras or not. Law enforcement officers should wear body-worn cameras because it will help the officers while on patrol and the offender while being arrested or stopped. This topic has been debated for a long period of time. It really came to light when Michael Brown, an 18 year old african american boy, was shot and killed in August of 2014 by Officer Wilson, in Ferguson, Missouri.

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.

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.

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

First advantage in law enforcement agents wearing body cameras is to hold the officers accountable. “Holding the officers accountable, will ensure the officer adheres to policies and procedures during an encounter with victims and suspects.” Body-worn cameras are poised to help boost accountability for law enforcement and citizens and, unlike many new police technologies, the cameras share preliminary support from both law enforcement and social justice groups. Successful implementation of the cameras will require careful policies that respect and protect both the police and the public.

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

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.

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

On the evening of February 26, 2012, in Sanford, Florida, a neighborhood watch coordinator, George Zimmerman fatally shot unarmed 17-year-old teenager named Trayvon Martin. Some say Zimmerman acted rightfully in self-defense while others believe he acted wrongfully by racially profiling Martin during the incident. Similarly, on August 9, 2015, an 18-year-old teenager named Michael Brown was fatally shot to death by police officer, Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Missouri. Some witnesses believe that Brown was unarmed during this unfortunate incident and that he was holding his hands up in order to surrender to Wilson. Unfortunately, society may never know what actually happened since witnesses, proof, and evidence were very limited during that time of the events. Incidents like these may never have to happen again if law enforcement wore body cameras during their shifts. Body-worn cameras are a video recorder mainly used by police and law enforcement to record interactions with the public, evidence at crime scenes while still improving officer and citizen accountability. Due to the recent rise in news following innocent people being unjustly shot by law enforcement, the idea of wearing body cameras are starting to look like a great idea. Body worn cameras seem like a great asset to utilize for every police officer out there however there are some faults to it as well like some security, ethical, and social issues.

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?

Like I said, body cameras are already being bought for police departments as standard gear. According to Dustin Volz’s article, “Police Body Cameras Are Already Facing Police Skeptics”, companies like Taser and Veivu sell these cameras for about $200, plus another $55 for

Police body-worn cameras (BWC) are a common topic amongst media outlets these days. This new technology is on the forefront of modern day technology for police forces throughout North America. This miniature audio and video recording device has been tested by many different policing agencies in North America (Bud, 2016). This paper will examine “The high cost of police worn body cameras, and the benefit they bring to both the community, and the police agency”. The cost issue for many agencies is not the cameras themselves but the storage needed to house the hundreds or even thousands of hours of footage (Bud, 2016). Within the last few years there have been several different police agencies in Canada that have tested these

Police brutality, racial profiling, and a lack of trust have all led to the massive divide between police officers and citizens (Lawrence). The increased prominence in police misconduct, including the shooting of a young African-American teenager, Michael Brown, and the strangling of Eric Garner, an African-American, who was strangled to death by officers, have led to the uprise of police body-worn cameras, also referred to as BWCs. Officers across the United States have been increasing dependency on these technological devices because of their ability for mass surveillance, in addition to several benefits, such as a reduction in the use of force. Furthermore, body-worn cameras will inevitably increase since they are currently the most viable solution to solving conflicts between police officers and citizens; however, there have been many concerns related to the invasion of privacy when using these recording devices. It is important to answer this question because recently there has been increased tension between officers and citizens, especially due to racial profiling. Body-worn cameras have been arising as a solution to the conflicts and violence between these two forces because officers are then being monitored, but there have been disputes. Many have questioned whether the use of body cameras is worth the risk of losing the privacy of citizens. On the other hand, many strongly advocate for equipping police officers with body-worn cameras because of the

In our technology centered society, the media has much influence on our everyday lives. What is shown in the media not only shapes our opinions, but our actions as well. August 9th, 2014, Michael Brown; an unarmed black man, was shot and killed by the police. US Official News states that the report filed on the incident includes information that there was a struggle between Brown and the officer, leading to the shooting. The Michael Brown case sparked much controversy, and started what is known today as the, Black Lives Matter movement. This alleged case of police brutality also started the conversation about the officers wearing body cameras. While there are officers already sporting these cameras, this event is what started the whole nation talking about whether or not, every officer should be wearing a body-worn camera. There is a divide between those who believe the cameras will help keep our officers and citizens safe, and those who believe the body-worn cameras are not worth the cost. When it comes to whether or not police officers should use body cameras, it is complicated.

The world is changing every day and technology advances by the hour. After the people of this country and especially those from the Ferguson area in Missouri, protested with incredible feelings and emotions towards the killing of Michael Brown on August 9th, 2014, President Barack Obama announced the Body-Worn Camera Partnership Program. The general goal of this is to promote accountability and transparency in police-civilian interactions. Obama announced a $263 million plan to provide body cameras, training, and more for 50,000 police officers throughout the country. This is one of the first steps the federal government has taken to directly address the widespread problem of police brutality in this country. (Source 1) We are now entering the era of body cameras within law enforcement in our communities. Although this proposal has gained a lot of popularity since 2014, it has been more complicated than most people realize. There are so many issues revolving around body cameras and the incidents that still occur only makes this conversation even more difficult. One of the main issues is the actual footage of the videos. We would all like to believe that seeing video footage of a controversial incident like an officer involved in a shooting would tell the whole story about what happened and that it would be easy to indict an officer who acted unjustly. Unfortunately, that’s almost never the case. People never see the entirety of an incident, only the part where the situation