Perry 1 Justyn Perry
Bill Morris
English 111-09
11 June 2015
The Effects of Police Wearing Body Cameras Anyone who pays even a little bit of attention to current events has to be aware of the increasing unrest between African-American citizens nationwide, and the police that are supposed to protect and serve them. Black people have never really trusted the police, and for good reason. Since slavery ended they have been falsely accused, imprisoned, beaten, burned, and killed in a number of horrific ways by police officers, who in many cases never even get charged let alone convicted of a crime. While there has been significant progress made over the years, this is still an issue that is a huge problem in the black community. Eric Garner, …show more content…
A 2012/2013 study performed in California by the Rialto Police Department revealed some stunning information that has had ripple effects across the country. In a 2013 article for the New York Times, journalist Randall Stross highlighted some of the alarming statistics that the study found. It showed that over the first 12 months use of force by police declined by 60 percent, and when force was used it was twice as likely to have been used by an officer not wearing a camera. The study also showed an astounding 88 percent decrease in civilian complaints against officers when compared to the previous 12 months. Even though this is a small sample size, these numbers strengthen the case for those that insist that police worn body cameras is something that should be implemented …show more content…
The cost to outfit the entire Ferguson Police department with the most expensive body camera that Taser offers is around $55 thousand. The cost of the riots in Baltimore, MD was an estimated $20 million. The cost to outfit the entire Baltimore County and Baltimore City Police Department would be a fraction of that. The money that is being spent rebuilding these communities would be better spent preventing these tragedies from happening in the first place. President Obama recently announced $263 million in funding for new police training and equipment, $75 million of which will go exclusively to the purchase of body cameras. The federal government leading the charge to equip all officers with body cameras should be a sign for state and local governments to join the cause. $75 million is significant, but is not nearly enough to equip all officers nationwide. It will take effort from all levels of government to make this happen. This is not an expense. It is an investment. An investment in protecting American citizens from unlawful treatment from the people that are supposed to be protecting them. It is also an investment in protecting the police officers whom so many are quick to judge without knowing the facts. Above all else, it is an investment in truth, liberty, and justice for
Bill Morris
English 111-09
11 June 2015
The Effects of Police Wearing Body Cameras Anyone who pays even a little bit of attention to current events has to be aware of the increasing unrest between African-American citizens nationwide, and the police that are supposed to protect and serve them. Black people have never really trusted the police, and for good reason. Since slavery ended they have been falsely accused, imprisoned, beaten, burned, and killed in a number of horrific ways by police officers, who in many cases never even get charged let alone convicted of a crime. While there has been significant progress made over the years, this is still an issue that is a huge problem in the black community. Eric Garner, …show more content…
A 2012/2013 study performed in California by the Rialto Police Department revealed some stunning information that has had ripple effects across the country. In a 2013 article for the New York Times, journalist Randall Stross highlighted some of the alarming statistics that the study found. It showed that over the first 12 months use of force by police declined by 60 percent, and when force was used it was twice as likely to have been used by an officer not wearing a camera. The study also showed an astounding 88 percent decrease in civilian complaints against officers when compared to the previous 12 months. Even though this is a small sample size, these numbers strengthen the case for those that insist that police worn body cameras is something that should be implemented …show more content…
The cost to outfit the entire Ferguson Police department with the most expensive body camera that Taser offers is around $55 thousand. The cost of the riots in Baltimore, MD was an estimated $20 million. The cost to outfit the entire Baltimore County and Baltimore City Police Department would be a fraction of that. The money that is being spent rebuilding these communities would be better spent preventing these tragedies from happening in the first place. President Obama recently announced $263 million in funding for new police training and equipment, $75 million of which will go exclusively to the purchase of body cameras. The federal government leading the charge to equip all officers with body cameras should be a sign for state and local governments to join the cause. $75 million is significant, but is not nearly enough to equip all officers nationwide. It will take effort from all levels of government to make this happen. This is not an expense. It is an investment. An investment in protecting American citizens from unlawful treatment from the people that are supposed to be protecting them. It is also an investment in protecting the police officers whom so many are quick to judge without knowing the facts. Above all else, it is an investment in truth, liberty, and justice for