The use of body cameras is one of the controversial issues in policing. Body cameras are used in law enforcement to capture interactions between the police and citizens or collect video evidence at a crime scene. Generally, body cameras are not actively recording videos. The users have to press buttons on the cameras to record interactions. Once the officer presses the button, the video camera starts recording all audio and video around him. The use of body cameras by police officers has led to a heated debate, resulting in two sides of the debate. On the one hand, some people believe that body cameras should be used in policing. On the other hand, there are those against the idea of using body cameras.
One argument for using body cameras is that they help de-escalate aggression or bring a civilizing effect on the nature of citizen-police encounters. Force reduction associated with the adoption of body cameras will be vital for improving relations between the police and the community, especially in poor minority neighborhoods. Body cameras have great potential to benefit both communities and police agencies. For example, body cameras not only reduce complaints against the police but also the use of force during arrest incidents. They also can potentially increase police productivity, as evidenced by the significant increase in police citations and arrests (Braga et al., 2017). Other benefits expected from the use of body cameras include a reduction in frivolous complaints against police officers and a reduction in excessive use of force by police (Laming, 2019). A police officer who wears a body camera and receives a complaint is significantly less likely to have a complaint sustained than another officer without a body camera.
There are also arguments against the use of body cameras by police officers. One argument against body cameras is that not all incidents are recorded by the cameras. For example, only 13.2%-42.2% of incidents were recorded by body cameras. Another argument against body cameras is that while the technology might be easy and comfortable to use, police officers are dissatisfied with extended download times, longer time required to complete reports, and the possibility that the departments might end up using video recordings against them. For example, a police officer will be uncomfortable recording a video that might be used against them in the end. Another disadvantage of body cameras is that the video recordings submitted to courts might be difficult to process due to logistical problems regarding the chain of custody and the length of time required by prosecutors to go through the video files. For example, prosecutors have complained that they did not have sufficient time to review the video footage (Katz et al., 2014).
In my opinion, body cameras are an important technological milestone that should be adopted in policing. In other words, I support the use of body cameras in policing. One reason for supporting body cameras is that they have the ability to improve the accountability of police officers and lower complaints of police misconduct. Body cameras used by police provide crucial audio and video evidence that can be used to verify events independently. When police officers know their actions are being recorded, they will be motivated to behave differently. Body cameras are important in cases involving domestic violence. For example, when a police officer arrives at a domestic violence scene wearing a body camera, they will record the immediate aftermath of the attack, including any injuries incurred by the victim. The most crucial benefit of body cameras is probably the fact that the video footage can be used as evidence. This means the footage can be submitted in a court of law when necessary. A case may be severely lacking without video footage. Fortunately, body cameras can be incredibly valuable in a court of law. Lastly, I support body cameras because they can prevent violence. For example, a police officer and respondent will be less likely to use violence when there is a body camera.
References
Braga, A., Coldren Jr, J. R., Sousa, W., Rodriguez, D., & Alper, O. (2017). The benefits of body-worn cameras: new findings from a randomized controlled trial at the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police. Arlington, VA: CNA.
Katz, C. M., Choate, D. E., Ready, J. R., & Nuño, L. (2014). Evaluating the impact of officer worn body cameras in the Phoenix police department. Phoenix, AZ: Center for Violence Prevention & Community Safety, Arizona State University.
Laming, E. (2019). Police use of body worn cameras. Police practice and research, 20(2), 201-216.
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