Body Cameras

It is unfair to send police officers out into the public with the fear of second guessing themselves every time they make a decision. If they have body cameras they will have the proof of the film to back up whatever decision is made. During a study in 2013 they accumulated stats showing first, Shifts without body cameras experience twice as many incidents of use of force of shifts with body cameras.

The use of a body camera is very important in many different instances such as recording a crime, making a statement about an event that just occurred, or as evidence against suspects. By publishing the recorded video to the public, it could potentially violate personal privacy; keeping it private raises concerns about the deceitfulness of the police ("Police Cameras"). This is why body cameras are extremely controversial in our society. Even though body cameras can potentially seem like an invasion of privacy to the public, they can help with clarifying evidence and showing the humane side of the police force. Body cameras are a vital piece of equipment for law enforcement and play an essential

The North Carolina District Attorney (2015) also delineates advantages and disadvantages of officer-worn body cameras from the publics’ perspective. The first advantage of officer-worn body cameras for the public is that officers are held accountable for their actions. The second advantage of officer-worn body cameras from the public perspective is the footage provides evidence of officer misconduct. The third advantage of officer-worn body cameras assists victims receiving justice for the crimes committed against them. The first disadvantage delineated by the North Carolina District Attorney (2015) of officer-worn body cameras is that the public taxpayer concurs all the cost associated with the program.

Law Enforcement Officers via the wearing of body worn cameras can help protect people’s constitutional rights, it will help lower police misconduct, and it will promote public trust. In the recent years there has been many debates surrounding the use of body cameras by law enforcement officials. The utilization of body worn cameras would be a grea idea and an excellent resource to document law enforcement daily activities. Though a lot of people believe that the use of body worn cameras may be an invasion of their privacy (4th Amendment right), law enforcement should be able to use the technology of wearing body cameras because it will give the public a perspective of what law enforcement deal with on a daily basis. Body cameras will play an important role by provided evidence in court, protecting the public and also protecting the law enforcement officers.

“The big push for body cameras has been driven in part by the sense that citizens have their phones and can record, and it was only part of the whole story.” This quote makes sense of it all. In today’s day and age bystander’s first reaction to a dispute between a civilian and a cop is to take out their phones and video tape, however, they do not do so until a fist is being thrown or blood is being shed. “It was only part of the whole story.”

Author Mitch Zamoff wrote this to inform readers about the achievements that police body cameras have to offer as far as showing evidence and getting a wider perspective of the situation. (page. 54:1) This is important because they are easier for the police officer to control and work. This is good for old and young officers.

Due to lack of evidence, it is often hard to charge an officer for disorderly conduct, which causes the public outrage and turns them against the justice system. If officers wore body cameras, there would be more evidence to support any claims made between both the officers and the public who ask for answers. A great example of this occurred earlier this year with the death of Mike Brown, who was an unarmed teenager killed by Darren Wilson. Wilson was indicted because of the lack of evidence that Brown was actually a threat. It was basically the public against an officer.

So many lives could be saved and so many police officers’ careers could be saved through the utilization of this idea and the reaping of its benefits. Whether it captures a citizen attack on a police officer or whether it captures a case of police brutality, the great possibilities outweigh the potential cons of police body cameras and make them a risk worth taking. Whether one takes the side of the citizens and believe the police are typically irrational or one takes the side of the police and believe they are only doing their jobs to the best of their ability, the incorporation of body cameras to the controversial police force would be extremely beneficial for

The Benefits of Body Cameras in Law Enforcement How can Body Cameras help Law Enforcement? Dashboard cameras have become an antiquated tool for police officers. According to the Los Angeles Times, “Critics claim that watching the video will alter the officer's memory of the incident. But this isn't necessarily a bad thing”.

Police Departments all over the world claim that the devices are meant to provide justice and trust to the community, allowing the viral harassment to go down because they would be caught on camera doing the right thing rather than the wrong thing. Tod Burke a professional of criminal justice stated, “Transparency is extremely important now when there seems to be a growing distrust between the police and the community.” Meaning, that body cameras has to be the only way to go since there is a big suspicion between the way police departments handle situations and how the community reacts. Also, a Media Relations Coordinator at the San Diego Police Department named Travis Easter, declared that, “If officers and citizens are being watched, we are both more liable to do the right thing.” Which connotes to if people are on camera they would more regularly than not behave better than they would if they weren’t on camera because the footage is used a evidence, and the community is able to see

Police Brutality is a huge problem in America today, and few steps are being taken to prevent this justice. There are numerous cases where a police officer’s motives are put into question, leading to public unrest due to controversy. Whether it is racial, simple hate, or if the police officer is simply unstable, there is an easy way to bring justice to this problem. Body cameras have been employed in various cities and states already, and have proven to be effective in reducing police brutality. Body cameras are on the verge of changing policing as we know it.

(Study Reveals Police Officers Wearing Body Cameras Are More Likely To Be Assaulted, pg.1) In my understanding, the critics are saying their privacy is more important than their security. We can use body cameras to help solve crimes and protect our country in the process. They are also saying police officers are more likely to be assaulted. Police Officers are here to deal with violence.

The use of previous videos can be detrimental to new cops because it can teach them how to deal with many different situations correctly that way they don’t put their career in jeopardy or the lives of their partners in danger. Everyone knows that there is always three sides to a story: what one individual says happens, what the other individual says happened, and what happened. With the execution of body-worn cameras, it would eliminate, the reduction seen in complaints filed and sustained against officers and videos can reduce the need for lengthy

A major benefit for having body cams is the fact that it will decrease the force used by Police Officers. For the past couple of years there has been many videos of Police Officers using excessive force against innocent victims, especially with African Americans. “The notion has been around for a while. But since August 's fatal shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri -- for which witness accounts varied widely -- it 's gained traction to become part of the national conversation about police conduct.” (Brandon Griggs 1)

Speech Outline Title: Body Cameras I. Introduction Attention-getter: Body cameras were used because of Michael Brown’s death and police misconduct. B. Significance Body cameras may increase police accountability and protect them from accusations. C. Credibility: My interest in this topic is due to the latest deadly encounters with police officers and improving the communities’ safety.