Police should use body cameras so both the officers and citizens have better interactions with each other and can restore public trust towards the police. When people are in front of a camera they act much more civilized, which lowers police brutality and complaints from the public. By releasing camera footage to the public, public trust in the police can be restored without intruding on people's private lives. Not to mention, they provide extra security for both the civilians and the police.
A study conducted by the University of South Florida showed that when officers were equipped with body cameras, they say a fifty-three percent (Wing) drop in the need for force from the police. Furthermore, less police and civilians were harmed during arrest which also lead to sixty-three percent (Wing) less complaints towards police. Therefore, the police can solely focus on other crimes instead of using their resources focusing on complaints. For example, an officer, that was recording the incident, of the law received a complaint from a civilian. After he showed the person the video the person explained, “Um, I guess I must have remembered that wrong (Coldewey).” That way both parties benefit from police cameras:
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Today “4,000 and 6,000 of the 18,000 police departments in the United States use body cameras” (1) and some districts have plans to begin uploading the videos onto Youtube (Davis). This would allow the public to see any footage taken from the outdoors that the police cameras captured. If the footage is from outside it does not intrude on the fourth amendment and anyone’s privacy. That way the police could release the video without intruding on other people’s privacy. “If body worn cameras help reinforce that [trust] or provide more example, I think that’s great,” stated Jason Parker, a trusted police