Body cameras, also known as body-worn cameras, are small video cameras that can be attached to an individual’s clothing, helmet, or sunglasses. These cameras can capture video and audio recordings of various activities. Law enforcement agencies uses these cameras for traffic stops, arrests, searches, interrogations, and critical incidents, including officer-involved shootings. While the police body camera programs increase police accountability, which may lead to the strengthening of the public’s trust in their local law enforcement agency, some argue that these programs pose risks to an individual’s privacy and could potentially hinder the efforts of law enforcement. In July 2013, the Police Executive Research Forum and the Department of Justice conducted a survey of 500 law enforcement agencies on the use of body-worn cameras. …show more content…
One such survey was funded by the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services and conducted by the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF). PERF’s report indicated a number of benefits for using body cameras, including better evidence documentation and increased accountability and transparency, as well as several problems, such as privacy issues, the need for data retention and public disclosure policies, and financial considerations. The NIJ currently has two on-going studies they are funding, a CNA Corporation study on the impact of body-worn cameras in the Las Vegas Metro Police Department and a Los Angeles Police Foundation evaluation of body-worn video technology in the LAPD. In addition to these studies, the NIJ also funded the development of a primer on body-worn cameras for law enforcement and a market survey of camera systems with the help of the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center (NLECTC) (National Institute of Justice,