Body Cameras Pros And Cons

The implementation and usage of body cameras for police officers have caused controversies on whether or not the footage captured from body cameras should be made available to the public. Most controversies are whether or not the public's right to know outweighs people's privacy rights. According to the Freedom of Information Act the public has the right to access information pertaining to the government and community and have the right to know what occurs within their community. Body camera footage is considered to be public record and therefore should be made available to the general public in order for the public to be better informed of their communities. Peoples expectations for privacy have drastically changed due to social media and

" We should view ourselves, not in the light in which our own selfish passions are apt to place us, but in the lights in which any other citizen of the world would view us" (Smith, III.I.53). The surveillance that is created with the body cameras would allow the world to view behaviors by both police and citizens. Since the presence of body cameras alone will not change behaviors from police officers or citizens, the footage would need to be accessible to the public in order for them to refrain from acting out negatively because they would be aware that all encounters would be made public for the world to view. As Smith indicated in the above quote viewing ourselves as the citizens of the world would see us would also put our own actions into perspectives. At times it requires us to step out of the situation and view our behaviors to fully understand that we are in the wrong. The video footage would not only be available to the community but to ourselves so we will be able to view our actions from the perspective that everyone else sees us. The footage captured from the body cameras is what Smith refers to as the impartial spectator that is always monitoring the behaviors from both citizens and police officers. Public access to footage from body cameras would also serve as a deterrence to excessive force from all parties. This as Smith states will allow for people to act virtuous at all times as they will need to be in control of their actions as they would always be monitored. Public access would also ultimately lead to what Bentham referred to as discipline that could be internalized in all situations not only those related to police encounters. This would cause people to be more cautious and aware of their behaviors and will ensure that people do the right thing at all times even if no one is really watching or in this case recording due to the