Only five states in America have laws that require the use of body cameras. In addition, there are six states that have eavesdropping laws in place in relation to government officials. Lastly, there are eighteen states and the District of Columbia that have legislated how body-worn camera data is addressed under open record laws (“Body-Worn Camera Funding”). In recent years, the discussion of how states should regulate the use of body cameras and the ethics of body cameras as an moral solution to police brutality has spiked due to the easier access to smart phones and the greater publication of altercations between police and civilians. These discussions have lead this topic to ultimately become a controversy across America. The most common …show more content…
Lastly, there are those who fear body cameras, which alone, are not a practical or useful solution for fighting police brutality.
To begin, many people believe that body cameras are a useful tool for combating police brutality; however, they believe that this will only be possible when policies are created on how and when to use the body cameras and the availability of the footage. Mr. Henry Gass is one stakeholder who identifies with this viewpoint. Gass is a reporter for The Christian Science Monitor who focuses on criminal justice and strives to help end racial inequality within America. To further his argument, that having clear policies are the only way this technological advancement will benefit us, Gass provides a quote from Dr. Tod Burke. Dr. Burke, a professor of criminal justice at Radford University and former Maryland police officer, states that if American citizens want true transparency and accountability from police officers, the American government must decide to release the footage from the cameras as soon as possible. However, we must also realize that Americans and media sources should not interfere with an investigation to a point where we produce a trial-by-media (Gass 3). In addition to Mr. Gass, Mr. Martin Kaste hosts a podcast titled All Things Considered that
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.
The familiarity of such cases is evidence to believe that one case or even many cases of the same caliber did not prompt the decision to fund police body cameras alone but a more influential reason can explain the decision for body cameras. A state of field assessment conducted by the police reform revealed that various forms of technology is being adapted or developed for law enforcement purposes, and there are many specific technologies, both current and emerging, that can benefit law enforcement. The theory that can best explain new emerging technologies that has power to influence political decisions can best be explained by the new media
The dispute of police body cameras truly hit the media hard this week. Blasting from the headlines all citizens were aware that Michael Brown was lethally shot in Ferguson, Missouri. This prompted officers to become fortified with body cameras. This technologically progressive world that we live in today has shaped a world of tweeting, posting and uploading. It’s about time that police departments take advantage of the tools accessible to them, especially with the advancement of equipment. The move forward in technology will help to alleviate speculation on any misconduct perpetrated. There now will be hard honest evidence of any crime committed against a police officer.
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
Body cameras footage has proved valuable in the investigation into police misconduct. “Some police departments are doing themselves a disservice by not using body-worn cameras. Everyone around you is going to have a camera's so that everyone else can be able to tell their story better than someone who does not have these cameras”. For example, the student in south Carolina who was pull off her chair by a police officer, because she refused to give her phone. Other students, however, recorded the situation on their phone. They claimed that the student hit the police officer, which resulted in the officer removing her from her seat. However, the student who was pulled out of the chair said she only hit the police officer because he hit her. First, the police officer had been wearing a body camera it would have proved the actual events.
The most beneficial way to work with the community is by having body cameras. According to Issues and Controversies, President Obama said, “the safer it is for cops, the more effectively they can do their jobs, the more cooperation there’s going to be, the more likely those communities are to be safe” (Police Body Cameras). Due to, the power of authority police officers is mistreating and killing the civilian. As a result, the community feels unsafe and fears police officers. For this reason, implementing body cameras on police officers is crucial for safety, evidentiary purpose, and liability.
With cases of alleged unnecessary police force that have taken the lives of unarmed civilians like Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, and Michael Brown, the need for transparency and truth has never been more vital. Body cameras can shed light on truth within legal cases at the cost of an officer’s privacy while on duty. These cameras can film police officials in very intimate moments, such as changing into their uniform, using the restroom, or engaging in private conversation. While body cameras are able to pick up on private moments in an officer’s life, allowing for a straightforward perspective of situations that will ultimately serve justice is worth enduring a few moments of discomfort in a police officer’s day-to-day
Many Americans have thought about the law enforcement’s limits as it has been brought to people’s attention due to the media. Ideas, such as body cameras used by police, have been debated since it became a realistic option. Body cameras are devices that would be placed on an officer’s body or uniform and turned on when an officer is on duty or approaching a civilian. The technology would be used to determine if excessive force was used when subduing a criminal. Social media has played an enormous part in why the topic of body cameras is being disputed.
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).
Body Cameras for Police Officers in Every Program In Arizona, use-of-force complaints decreased by 75 percent for officers using cameras in a pilot program. In Idaho, they dropped by 24 percent. The people of America, should not have to worry about summoning their own executioners when they call for help, but today they must consider the excruciating possibility. There has been an increase on the number of complaints on officers that use violence, but the ones that wear body cameras reduced the violence and showed less complaints.
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.
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
Introduction The Issue Lately, mainstream media outlets have deeply covered recent officer involved shootings and use of force events by police. As a result, much of the public has latched onto the idea that police officers should be required to wear body cameras, which the public believes will somehow miraculously stop any excessive use of force by police. Are police body cameras really the answer, or is this our “human tendency, in times of tragedy, to latch on to the
saying that with the body cameras it will help everyone and the community feel more secure. Having them will help stop all the “talk” of what's been going in society and finally bring peace. There have been incidents where police officers have used body cameras, and have actually helped situations be solved in a quicker way. Body cameras have the actually tape with the time that makes everything go by smoother and faster. These facts could be backed up in court to help maybe have it be looked at from both point of views. The article also stated that, “A study conducted of the Rialto, California, police department from 2012-2013 showed the potential of cameras. With half of the police department where in cameras recording each interaction with
Much interest in the technology of the body cameras comes from a growing problem that the United States has been having a major problem with police violence. Though some might argue that the wearing of body cameras violate privacy, in fact the use of the cameras will minimize violence, show accountability, and a human side of policing. These body cameras would help serve by providing video evidence that can be referenced and use anytime allegations are made against police officers and criminals alike. The use of these body cameras are somewhat in the evaluation and study stages, but they are quickly becoming the standard in some police departments across the United States. These cameras would not only serve to provide video evidence, but it provide accountability. The ideal policy for the cams is that they stay on and continue recording throughout police officers shifts, which would help eliminate any possibility of doing something that would not be used as evidence later on and help them evade the recording of abuse committed while on duty.