Body Cameras Don 't Work If They Are Not Worn or Not Turned On After Michael Brown, the unarmed black teen who was shot in Ferguson, Missouri, America made it known that we want police officers to wear body cameras. Police Departments responded by saying they want officers to wear body cameras, too. So, if everybody wants the officers to wear body cameras why are there still so many incidents of questionable conduct that are not recorded? According to the Huffington Post, only 2 of the 27 large U.S. cities looked at had all of their officers equipped with body cams. Those who did were Albuquerque, New Mexico, and New Orleans, Louisiana. Most large cities cite lack of funding as a reason for the delay. On the cusp are Seattle, Washington and Minneapolis, Minnesota. Notable mention goes to NYC and Chicago for making some progress. Boston, Kansas …show more content…
The white officer claims self-defense and was not wearing a body camera. Would we know more if the officer was wearing the camera? Maybe not. Last year in Albuquerque (one of the cities that has all officers equipped), the U.S. Department of Justice took a look at the use of body cams after a report of excessive force was filed and no video of the incident was produced. The DOJ found that the officers were wearing the body cams but were not turning them on. Several cities said they would love to equip their officers, but the $200 to $1000 camera for each officer adds up. Then there is the cost of training, maintenance, and storing all of the video files. The Obama administration promised $20 million, but the money has not been approved by Congress. We may be waiting for some time.