Abstract
Police accountability and transparency have become critical subjects in recent years. One of the most essential issues that has fueled tremendous debate is police brutality. While being an officer of the law is challenging, accountability and transparency must be upheld in all circumstances. Technological advancement has undoubtedly brought solutions to many national sectors, including law enforcement. The body cameras have ensured that law enforcement officers respect their badge and conduct themselves ethically as the law requires. Body cameras have enhanced transparency in police interactions with the public. This cutting-edge technology creates a fantastic opportunity to build trust between law enforcement and the public.
Introduction
The evolution of police body cameras can be tracked from the 1990s in the United Kingdom, where they were first utilized (Schwach, 2022). The fantastic technology began gaining popularity in the United States in the early 2000s when high-profile cases of unnecessary use of police force had gained nationwide attention (Schwach, 2022). Law enforcement plays a critical role in enhancing stability and safety in the nation. However, to ensure the stability and safety of citizens, trust must prevail so that citizens do not liken police officers to criminals who cause havoc and chaos in the country. Police body cameras continue to play a significant role in ensuring the proper police conduct and, therefore, enhance trust between the citizens and law enforcement. While the body cameras were introduced due to public demand for police accountability and transparency, they have also led to policy changes thanks to technological advancements. However, there has been much debate regarding the efficacy of police body cameras and their ethical implications in law enforcement.
The Technological Advancement and The Merits of Police Body Cameras
After introducing body cameras in law enforcement, their efficacy could have been improved by their large size and low resolution. Additionally, the camera’s batteries could not last long, making them less efficient. The large size of the cameras made them tiresome to carry and easily visible to the offenders, thus reducing their efficacy. However, due to technological advancement, smaller and invisible body cameras with high resolution have been introduced. These small-sized cameras have a higher resolution and can capture police interactions more clearly, thus enhancing transparency (Nagbe, 2022). In addition, these cameras have more advanced features such as automatic activation triggers, live streaming capabilities, and better cloud-based storage to enhance their efficacy in capturing and storing crucial footage.
The use of body cameras in law enforcement has numerous advantages. Body cameras have proven to be very vital in the collection and preservation of evidence. One of the significant challenges in prosecuting crimes is the presentation of evidence in the courts. The criminal justice system operates based on hard evidence and not circumstantial evidence. Body cameras provide valuable and undeniable evidence to ensure that offenders are put behind bars and that the public is safe. Also, body cameras show that innocent people are not wrongfully convicted for crimes they did not commit.
The body cameras are vital in ensuring proper police conduct. It is essential that while police officers are trained and expected to conduct themselves according to the department’s policies, they are also humans and are prone to emotional problems. A police officer may be offended by some utterances from the public and, in the process, get emotional and become brutal. However, the idea that the body camera is watching their actions makes them control their emotions and be wary of actions that may damage their reputation. The net effect is improved professional conduct from police officers,
Like any other department in the nation, law enforcement is prone to many mistakes. The law enforcement department ensures that citizens are safe from lawbreakers and themselves. However, a mistake from one officer can paint a bad image of the department to citizens and erode public trust in law enforcement. The body cameras help to monitor the field officers to ensure they maintain professional conduct while interacting with the citizens to ensure a positive image of the department. Public trust is crucial for law enforcement since there must be collaboration between the public and law enforcement to ensure everyone’s safety (Armstrong, 2019). Collaboration with the public helps collect data, hence the need for the department to maintain public trust.
Body cameras ensure reduced complaints from the public and subsequently reduce legal costs. A department saturated with legal complaints against police officers will need help to fulfil its legal mandate to protect the public (Nagbe, 2022). Arrests are characterized by complaints from criminals, either from police brutality or illegal evidence collection, and do not build strong cases, making it hard to protect the public. The legal costs involved in dealing with such complaints can be directed to better utilization, such as implementing better policies and improving the welfare of law enforcement officers.
Demerits of Police Body Cameras
Despite the many benefits of body cameras, there are also valid concerns from the public and other legal scholars. Using body cameras to record public interactions is often seen as a breach of public privacy. Every citizen is entitled to their privacy, and using body cameras can be viewed as an infringement on individual privacy rights. The cameras may also end up recording sensitive situations, such as in private residences, which directly violates people’s privacy. Data management and storage can be overwhelming for the department, considering that every officer in the field has a body camera that records events in real-time. While some events may be valuable evidence, most situations recorded are irrelevant to law enforcement. The sheer volume generated by these body cameras can prove extremely hard to determine which is relevant to the department (Choi et al., 2023). Additionally, the large volume of information is labour-intensive and costly to manage.
Due to the sheer amount of data body cameras collect, policy development and consistency become challenging. It is difficult to predict how a situation or interaction between a police officer and a citizen will eventually turn out. It is, therefore, hard to decide when officers should turn on their body cameras and when they should turn them off. There also needs to be more consistency in deciding data storage, how the data will be accessed, and who in the department will access such data. The training of officers on the use of body cameras is also a challenging exercise. The training and technology implementation can be costly in the department and may require extra funding to ensure a smooth implementation.
While there has been a surge in the adoption of body cameras nationwide, the effect has mainly been felt in large cities. The smaller jurisdictions have yet to see much progress in making police accountability and transparency remain an issue. Some factors influence the adoption of this cutting-edge technology, such as budgetary constraints and the legal framework of the issue (Choi et al., 2023). Some states may experience budgetary constraints, making adoption quite challenging, especially in police departments that serve small jurisdictions. The legal framework regarding the issue may differ from one state to another, and in some states, using body cameras may be considered unconstitutional. Also, public sentiments may or may not encourage the use of body cameras as it is a breach of citizens’ privacy.
In conclusion, the transparency and accountability of police officers cannot be ignored; however, citizens’ right to privacy must be considered while using body cameras. All the stakeholders must be actively involved and fully informed on the debate regarding the use of body cameras. The advantages and disadvantages of body cameras must be thoroughly evaluated. Building and sustaining a solid foundation of public trust and establishing a more just and equitable society for all can only be possible if we approach these conversations with consideration and evidence.
Reference
Schwach, A. (2022). Transparency Breeds Accountability, Accountability Breeds Trust: Where Iowa Law Stands on the Confidentiality of Police Misconduct Records. Drake L. Rev., 70, 521.
Nagbe, T. (2022). Perspectives of Law Enforcement Officers in a Suburban Community on Use of Body Cameras (Doctoral dissertation, Walden University).
Choi, S., Bitter, A. N., Sturges, H. A., & Snyder, J. A. (2023). Advancing the Implementation of Body-Worn Cameras: Using Police Officers’ Buy-In to Inform Research and Policy. Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology, pp. 1–12.
Armstrong, J. (2019). Body camera’s effectiveness in a large police department in the southeast (Doctoral dissertation, Walden University).
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