Body Cameras in the Police Force
By Kendrick Tran
Source: http://www.npr.org/2017/05/25/529905669/should-the-police-control-their-own-body-camera-footage
Body cameras, a touchy subject for most people but I think this topic has a definitive answer. The main purpose for the use of body cameras in the police force is to discourage the use of excessive force because of the liability issues that one risks by going straight into force. On top of this, body cameras help to answer possible questions that might arise during a conflict such as "What happened during this shootout?" or "What evidence was left behind during the scene of the crime?". All of these are legitimate concerns and can be answered through the incorporation of body cameras.
Source: http://www.npr.org/tags/345214212/body-cameras
Curious as to the actual data behind these claims, I searched around the internet. The most interesting source came to be the National Institute of Justice of the United States. The primary source for all things related to the fields pertaining to justice, the folk over at the NIJ did a study in 2013 on the use of body cameras within the police departments and over 75% said that they do not have access to body cameras as of right now. Conducted by the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF), they noted that some of the perceived benefits come from better evidence documentation, transparency, and the increased accountability that falls on the officers using these devices. However, there are some noted negatives. Obviously, first and foremost, the financial costs that this puts on departments. These devices don't come cheap. Secondly, there is an issue of privacy and how much of it is allowed to be released outside of the police departments themselves. Regardless, there needs to be more research done on the exact benefits of body cameras and whether they actually affect crime reduction, the measure of force used in the field, etc. All of this is important because some departments have already taken the step towards body cameras and have seen tangible results. Whether this new technology can be applied to other areas is extremely important because as a society, we need to be held accountable for our actions and body cameras can be another step in the right direction.
Works Cited
"Research on Body-Worn Cameras and Law Enforcement." National Institute of Justice. United
States, 12 June 2017. Web.
Great article. I wonder how body cameras would work in bigger cities and would they actually reduce the amount of deaths or suspicion. Police should be help accountable just as much, if not more than regular citizens, because they hold the law. And like you said, this should be a step in the right direction.
ReplyDeleteBody cameras seem to have an effect whether the cities are big or small since it puts more responsibility on the police force not to resort to violence outright. It forces them to deescalate situations using alternative methods.
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