Body Cameras

It is becoming more important for law enforcement officers (LEOs) to have video recordings of civilian contacts recorded from their own perspectives. Many times critical incidents happen out of range of the vehicle cameras. Just like most things in life, technology has found a way to make advancements in everything we do. Advancements in law enforcement are of no exception. Technology has put cameras in squad cars and now on our officers, but unlike vehicle-mounted cameras, the body-worn cameras travel with officers. Both law enforcement and civil rights advocates are excited by the potential benefits of body worn cameras to improve community policing and safety. There are many benefits for both citizens and law enforcement officials if body

Arizona State University 's Center for Violence Prevention and Community Safety on body camera studies, Professor Michael D. White states “Body-worn cameras (BWCs) are perhaps the most debated topic in policing today. Advocates and critics have made numerous claims about the impact and consequences of the technology, but most of these claims are untested. BWCs have the potential to completely transform police-citizen encounters, and in the wake of the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, adoption of the technology is likely to be exponential. This transformation, in the virtual absence of empirical evidence on BWCs, is profoundly troubling.” So although there are many pros and cons to body worn cameras by police officers, the benefits surely outweigh the negatives and more studies are being conducted to prove

All too often media airs news reports with details only revealed that support their own political agenda. Even with that said, if the very officer that is supposed to uphold the laws in society is engaging in misconduct or illegal activity, the public will diminish an officer’s credibility and legitimacy. (Elliot) This is why body worn cameras are so important. Credibility is everything to an officer. From interactions on the street to testifying in open court, an officer’s word is everything. Once that credibility is gone it is almost impossible for that officer to continue in a law enforcement capacity. Body cameras have emerged as a potential solution to the evolving discussion around police trust and legitimacy issues. One benefit of having a body camera is that if a critical incident, officer involved shooting, or accusation of brutality arises, the camera will provide footage from the officer’s point of view that