The crime rate and police brutality rate has increased in America in the recent years. A new law is flooding controversy across all 50 states. Should a police officer wear a body camera while on active duty? While many may argue that it is against privacy, I believe that wearing such cameras will lessen such police brutality claims, ensure truth in court scenarios, and protect both the officer and the civilian. The following is an example of a situation. A police officer who is out on patrol sees a pedestrian acting very suspicious. Even with calling back up to handle the situation, it goes out of control and the civilian attacks the police officer. The officers try to control the civilian, then he is eventually arrested. By the time the case goes to court, the man changes his story and says the officers attacked him. With body cameras on police officers to capture the situation, it can ensure the truth in the situation. Police stations in all the states should agree on letting officers to wear a recording system or body cameras that are the size of a cigarette stick that can be attached to helmets, hats or even the collars on their uniforms. It keeps track of the evidence at the scene, always surveys the actions of the officer and it would enhance the trust of the public.
“So instead of relying on somebody else’s partial picture of what occurred, why not have your own?” says William A. Farrar, chief of the California Rialto police (Message From The Chief). A badge and a
Due to devastating events that have taken place between the police and civilians in 2015, law enforcements are finding it liable for policeman to be suited with body cameras. They believe doing so will begin to hold policeman more accountable for their actions, reduce police brutality and crime, as well as shedding light on the good cops still out here.
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 start off, police officers should be required to wear body cameras because it will reduce dishonesty on incident reports. For example, the footage of a body camera could reveal the misconduct of what actions the officer committed and officers would look foolish if they decided to file dishonest reports on the incident. This could solve many cases in the future by the use of body cameras and will reduce the amount of complaints by citizens based on what the decision was by the jury and judge. Overall, police officers should wear body cameras because it will reduce dishonesty on incidents as it could reveal the misconduct of the officers actions.
Imagine you received mistreatment from a police officer and decide to take legal action against them. The situation becomes their word against yours because there is no evidence to prove the mistreatment you suffered. Not all police officers are out to treat people incorrectly or use excessive force; however, in the cases when they do, there is usually no way to prove that it happened. There are also cases where people say they were mistreated by a police officer, but it is not true. What if there were a way to monitor how cops interact with the public? Body cameras offer a solution to the need to monitor police actions. They capture the truth, whether good or bad, that happens with police officers. Police should wear body cameras to be protected from legal cases, as demonstrated in the case of David Muniz, who was accused of being the reason for a Cleveland man’s death.
Since the death of Michael brown; an unarmed teenager who was fatally shot by a Police Officer. Tensions between Officers and Civilians ascended; the story that the officer made did not make sense to some. There was no hardcore proof of what led up to the death of Michael Brown. Which influenced the grand jury to not indict Officer Darren Wilson under the fact of “provably wrong , inconsistent statements given by witnesses” (IBTimes, Varandani). Bad Police Officers have been getting away with murder for years. They know how to cover up evidence and they know how to make up stories. Both in which is enough to keep them out of jail because lack of cold hard evidence. Which leads to the debate if Police officers should wear body cameras. Even though Many will argue that body cameras are too expensive and may make people uncomfortable. I believe that Police need to wear them. Because with actual video footage taken by the body camera it can be tremendous help in serving justice.
“We’re not anti-police, we’re anti-police brutality,” said Al Sharpton. It has to be understood that people fighting for justice are not against the police, they are against police brutality. Many cases that involve police using excessive force on civilians are occurring. There is not evidence being recorded because either officers do not have their body cameras or they are not turning them on. Innocent police officers and also innocent civilians are being charged guilty without proof of what actually happened in the encounter. Some officers are using their authority to pin everything on the civilian by using fake eyewitnesses and testimonies. Because of this, the public is having a hard time trusting authorities. It should be mandatory for police officers to have body cameras because it eliminates chances of them using excessive force, clears the confusion, and helps gain the public’s trust in them.
Police brutality has become a major issue in the United States causing people to believe that officers do not protect and serve. There has been many questions of how we can solve this problem. One of the many questions people ask is “Should all police officers wear body cameras?” By police officers wearing body cameras it can make poor communities become safer and help communities have trust with the police. Also, body cameras can protect police officer when they get into bad confrontation.
Police officers should wear body cameras because it will decrease hostility. Body cameras will help to encourage civilians to be less abusive if they are stopped by a cop for any reason. “Everyone is on their best behavior when cameras are running (Ron miller, chief of police, Topeka, Kansas police Department). For example, Keith Scott was shot by the police in North Carolina because the police said he had a gun. However, his wife and other people said he had a book, not a gun. If the police had been wearing body cameras it would have brought up the truth about the
Aren’t you tired of not getting any justice for innocent people dying because of police? In a sample of police departments surveyed in 2013, approximately 75 percent of them reported that they did not use body-worn cameras. All police officers should have to wear body cameras.
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 can hold police officers accountable for their actions, both the good and the bad. “Continuously wearing body cameras would hold police accountable for their appropriate, and inappropriate, conduct” (Buam). Also when the citizens make accusations they could pull the video from the camera and see whether the police officer did what they said they did or not. “Video recorded by body cams protect any false accusations, misconduct, or abuse
I believe that police should have body cameras. I truly believe that if police officers have a body camera on them their would be less shooting if an person is unarmed, less violence, and dishonest reports. I think they should wear body cameras, for example so we can see if they were honest about what they have written their report paper. Police officers should always tell the what really happened on the scene. And as stated in source 3 "illegal use of force by police officers have been shrouded from public view by means by dishonest.
In todays society, American citizens are unpleased with the law enforcement officers. These officers are here protecting the people of America, and to get the people doing the wrong things off the street so the rest of the people can be safe. In the past few months, there have been shootings of American citizens, and shootings of law enforcement officers. The people of society are only seeing the bad side of police officers, and never understand the whole story when needed to be heard. As the internet continues to expand, the promises it makes is beyond human understanding (Carr 56). The internet and television are the most complex form of technology, and only portray the bad side of cops. “The idea of multimedia is to combine text, sound, and pictures in a single package that you browse on screen” (Gelernter 97). The idea of body cameras put in the uniforms of the law enforcement officers has been talked about, so that everyone can see the exact truth of the situation. The idea of body cameras for the law enforcement officers has it benefits and drawbacks. I think having the body cameras will greatly benefit the law enforcement officers in society today and in the future.
Imagine if every police officer in the United States had to be required to wear body cameras. The questioning between officer Darren Wilson and Mike Brown could have been solved if a body camera could have captured the incident. This can increase the better outcomes of police officers and their job. People will be able to see everything that happens through the camera 's lens. How do you feel about body cameras being worn? Even though some people believe police officers should not have to wear body cameras, I believe that police officers should be required to wear body cams at all times on duty because it creates more evidence in cases, enforces officers to abide by the laws,and builds trust with the community.
Making sure that every officer has a body camera will cut down on brutality and excessive force, making it safer for the officer and the civilian or suspect. With proper tranning it will create more accountability and cost will also be cut from false accusations creating better edvidence.