Body Cameras on Police
Imagine if there were body cameras on every officer involved in a case like the Michael Brown one. Wouldn’t you feel better knowing there were cameras? Enforcing body cameras on officers would not only be a great idea, but it would also stop a lot of the accusations that get put on police when questioning or arresting people. Wearing the cameras would actually show video evidence of what is being said and done during those times. If they were incorporated in police uniforms, people would see what actually happened instead of having two sides to every story and no one would be able to lie about anything.
People believe that police rights are being stripped from them when they are permitted to wear the cameras, but it would save the police and victims a lot of trouble. The cameras would ensure that the police are obeying victims rights and aren’t crossing the line. No one would be able to accuse the officers of misconduct.
Officers are half and half on the issue, until they actually use the device. For instance, Officer Wilson was on duty when he got called about a man stabbing his ex-girlfriend repeatedly. Wilson had no other choice than to shoot the man. Luckily, Wilson’s lieutenant had made the camera part of his uniform earlier that day. With the camera recording everything that happened, Wilson wasn’t charged with anything, and the jury could easily make a decision.
With the cameras being apart of the uniform, the story is told through the video to make sure no parts are being left out. Civilians would also trust officers more if they knew they were being recorded while on the job. Police shouldn’t be worried about wearing these devices, if they are doing their job correctly. Officers are now learning new techniques and new training tactics due to the recordings of previous incidents. They help the officers better understand what the officers could have done in that moment. The cameras help improve police conduct and help them understand what they can do to prevent a bigger problem.
Opponents of police body cameras claim the cameras would be ineffective because cops are always doing the right thing and they know how to do their job. This a false statement because although police are supposed to be trustworthy and do the right thing, that doesn’t always happen. Also, just because a person knows how to do their job doesn’t mean they always do it the way they're supposed to. This is an example of a sharpshooter fallacy, which is where only one side of the story is given. Opponents only see the positive things that people do and never the negative; an example of this is the Eric Gartner story. They only give their side as to why body cameras would only bring the police down.
Overall, approximately 75% of police recorded that they do not wear a body camera on duty. Doing so would stop false accusations against police when something goes wrong. These cameras would not only lead to doing the right thing, but it would ensure public trust.
