Body cameras on police officers would be beneficial to society as a whole. Body cameras could help with issues of police brutality, keeping police officers safe and helping them with their work, and establishing trust between officers and the community. Many people find the topic of body cameras extremely controversial for many reasons. In November 2014, President Barack Obama requested $263 million for body cameras and training for police officers. This money would pay for over 50,000 cameras. There are pros and cons to the body cameras. Everyone can agree that they want people to feel safer. Safety is a large concern that everyone has. Everyone can also agree that police officers are very important in our society and they need to be kept safe. Also, trust is very important in our society. Trust between police officers and the citizens of a community is of paramount importance. Without trust between the two, there is no need for police officers, as people would always feel unsafe in their communities. …show more content…
Cost is a big issue. $263 million is a lot of money. Many people feel that the cameras are unnecessary. I think that the safety of many people is more important than the money. Saving hundreds of lives a year is worth a lot more than money. Another big concern is that the cameras could be an invasion of privacy. The cameras being inside people’s homes could pose a problem. Also having people unknowingly on camera is a concern, but that is no different than if a citizen were to take a video. Individual states are developing bills to help with privacy. They range from making individuals in the video sign a disclosure agreement to only making the videos public if an officer uses a deadly weapon or causes harm (First Coast