Police Body Cameras Essay

Introduction

In recent years, austerity has become a popular topic of discussion as governments have pushed to slash public spending to balance their budget books (Data Editor, 2023). This has had a considerable impact on the delivery of contemporary police services, culminating in the deployment of a variety of efficiency-enhancing enhancements (Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary, 2012).

This essay will focus on officer numbers, increases in calls for service, changes in stop and search, increases in knife and violent crime, domestic abuse, police training delivery, mental health, technology, "doing more with less," county lines, and human trafficking as indicators of the impact of austerity on the delivery of modern policing.

For example, police body cameras can influence offenders to reduce their behaviour when dealing with an officer as they know they are being recorded. As well as this, body cameras can also record important evidence when dealing with certain offenders which can be further used as evidence in court.

It can also assist officers in solving issues as well as investigating and combating criminal activity, according to data, body cameras have a "substantial effect on criminal activity." (Body-worn Cameras | College of Policing, 2021) (What Are the Benefits of Body Cameras With Front Facing Screens? - Reveal, n.d.). They not only improve security levels within communities but also protect police officers when they are dealing with accidents.

Already, the reduction in police officers has made it more challenging for police forces to manage service requests. Even though the annual rise in calls for assistance is 1.3%, there are fewer police officers than in 2010. Due to a substantial increase in their workload, it is now incredibly difficult for the police to attend to every call, for example, GMP (Greater Manchester Police), technology system didn't work and therefore over 80,000 calls were not reported (Halliday, 2021), again demonstrating the reduced ability for the police being able to respond to calls, investigate crimes, and assist

For instance, there is less financing for training programmes, which can have a negative effect on the performance of officers and how they respond to events. This is significant because if the police handle circumstances in an unprofessional manner or are unsure of what to do at a given level, then cases may be badly impacted, hence decreasing public faith in the police.

Austerity's Impact on Education in the Police

Austerity has had a considerable impact on training in the United Kingdom, leading to the cancellation of courses, a reduction of specialised training opportunities, and a decrease in training resources for Police forces (GOV.UK, n.d.). The College of Policing has aimed to support Police Forces to provide all officers with the necessary training and equipment to do their duties as proficiently as feasible (Support for Forces | College of Policing, 2023).

Relations between the Police and citizens because of