Police Body Cameras Should be Taken Into Consideration
“In Rialto, California, a police department has been using body mounted cameras and recording what happens between officers and the public. The use of force by officers declined 60% during the first year the cameras were introduced and citizen complaints against officers dropped by 88% (Safety vision). This statistic proves the debate of police body cameras or not. Though these cameras have a big price tag, they are a piece of equipment all officers need to wear in order to maintain a more clear picture of what happens in an incident.
Most normal people tend to have better behavior when they know they are being watched or recorded (Erstad). A growing amount of proof suggests
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Mounted in numerous locations on the officers uniform including hats, helments, sunglasses, labels, or uniform collars, these cameras are approximately the size of a deck of cards (Erastad)(Should Police Officers Wear…). Compact and portable, these cameras can be worn throughout the officers shift (Should Police Officers Wear...). Some skeptical people may suggest that officers are already responsible for a good deal of equipment, but these cameras are so small they are sure to stay out of the owners way while they are doing their jobs (Erastad).
BWC (short for body worn cameras) could be an excellent source used for training upcoming officers (Erastad). These tapes of the cameras can be shown to the students to show them how to deal with different situations or how not to do something.
We are all living in a time where technology prevails freely and cameras are found everywhere (Should Police Officers Wear…). These body worn police cameras should be used to reduce the force used by officers in a police-public interaction, decrease the complaints from citizens, and increase accountability (Ariel 730-731). This evidence should show that the benefits of these cameras outweigh the concerns