Police Body Cameras Essay

Police body cameras are extremely helpful to the justice system and law enforcement because they provide visual and audio evidence for events that have happened. They are efficient and reliable because they are clipped to a police officer's shirt, and records everything that goes on during a dispute. Police body cameras improve police accountability, they provide evidence in criminal cases, and prove police testimony to the public and to Law Enforcement. They record interactions between the police officers and the public, and provide truthful information to the public and Law Enforcement agencies. One thing that police body cameras do is improve police accountability. The camera records what happened, and records audio as well, to be reviewed

Something that can help to solve a few of these is to use Police body cameras. They can provide evidence of events that happened. An online article, titled, “Why Law Enforcement agencies use BWC’s”, the author writes, “Body-worn cameras allow officers to record events and statements from witnesses and victims.” It explains how this evidence can be used to prosecute criminals. This article also says, “According to a survey of prosecutors (PDF), over 90 percent of prosecutors’ offices in jurisdictions with BWCs have used BWC evidence to prosecute community members, and 8.3 percent of offices have used it to prosecute police officers.” Police Body cameras have played a huge role in providing evidence in criminal cases. Shannon Prather, a research consultant in St. Paul, Minnesota says, “In the six months since body cameras were deployed in Burnsville, police recorded video for almost every domestic violence case, something former Chief Deputy of the Dakota County Attorney’s Office, Phil Prokopowicz, JD, found useful.” Shannon explains how there is alway evidence or something useful to help the case when events are being recorded by police body cameras. This is how police body cameras provide evidence to assist in criminal

It justifies the use of police body cameras. On What Can Policymakers Expect of Body-Worn Cameras in Law Enforcement after a Decade of Use? | Urban Institute, the author says, “Police body-worn cameras offer transparency and accountability to the public, which is an attempt to “mend that frayed relationship between the police and the community,” according to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, JD.” Andrew Cuomo explains that transparency between police and the community can help their “frayed relationship”. The same article also says, “A July 2020 University of Maryland School of Public Policy survey found 90% support for all police officers being required to wear body cameras, including 85% of republicans, 86% of independents, and 94% of democrats.” The author is explaining that no matter the political belief, they all want the same thing for the community. Police Body Cameras - Pros & Cons - ProCon.org says, “Body-worn cameras are believed to improve officer and community member behavior (PDF) by promoting civil interactions” This explains how the overall behavior of police officers and members of the public improve when interactions are being recorded and can be used against them