Pros And Cons Of Police Officers Wear Body Cameras

Should police officers wear body cameras? A 2013 University of Cambridge study found that when officers wear body cameras, both police and respondents are less likely to use violence. This study indicated a drop in the use of force by more than fifty percent. Body cameras will make the streets safer for both officers and the general public. Continuously wearing the camera will hold the officer accountable for his/her behavior. Also, body cameras can prevent cases like the Ferguson and Baltimore case, where the public was not for sure what had happened. In saying this, police officers should be made to wear body cameras. An invasion of privacy is a concern of the police officers wearing the cameras, because they have state-owned footage. When
the cameras are turned on, they will capture everyday civilian and police behavior that is not necessarily needed. A quick fix to this problem is the officer turns the camera on when they think it is needed, or when an officer goes into conflict. They don’t need to be turned on while in the office. Some may complain about the price of the cameras, but government pays for them. Since August 2015, more than 150,000 people have signed a petition on the White Houses’ website urging that all police officers be made to wear body cameras. Accountability, transparency, and trust can be increased by police wearing cameras. A few weeks ago, body camera footage led to the indictment of University of Cincinnati police officer Ray Tensing for the murder of unarmed Samuel Dubose. Without the body camera, how would the police know who murdered Dubose? Police officers need to wear some sort of camera. What is it hurting if the officers do? Officers are supposed to be the “good guys” and law enforcers. Therefore, police do not need to worry about the way they act on camera. Also, the camera can help show the officers’ point of view of the situation during action. In conclusion, an officer wearing a camera can prevent violence, hold the officers accountable, and also show the human sides of policing. They will help prevent violence and complaints by the public. All police officers, no matter the rank, need to wear body cameras.