Should Police Officers Wear Body Camera Essay

Over the years there has been a tremendous amount of controversy regarding police officers and if the officers use excessive force. Individuals are not really sure what is going on when an officer has pulled someone over or when the officer is chasing someone down, and that’s a major problem. It’s a major problem because citizens trust what the officer says he or she does, because he is an officer, a type of an authority, and he or she would never lie. However, that is not accurate and people will not know the truth until it is shown to him or her. There are numerous answers to the issue, but the one that would help the most would be body cameras. Each police officer should wear a body camera to decrease police brutality.
A law should be enacted stating that every police officer must wear a body camera for his or her own safety and the safety of the citizens. With the officers being recorded people will know the truth about what exactly happened. If a current or future officer does not want to wear the body camera, then he or she cannot become an officer of the law. The refusal of wearing a camera would be unlikely unless one’s intent is to abuse his or her authority. In addition to that, while an office is wearing the camera there would be less suspicious of police brutality. No one is going to commit a crime while being recorded especially if the person is an officer of the law. Many individuals are worried about the cost of the body cameras. The taxpayers within the states think taxes would raise to help pay for the cameras, but there are many more ways to pay for the cameras. Police departments within the states could come together and host some type of fundraiser. The faculty could host a car wash or a bake sale, something simple to get the goal accomplished. Another type of way to pay for the cameras could be donations. People would be willing to donate because everyone wants the truth and to feel safe. As a last resort the taxes could be raised, but not an extensive amount. The citizens would begin to trust the police officers and departments again if the officers wore the cameras. With all the shootings and killings going on, people find it hard to trust police officers these days, this law could stop that from occurring. The citizens would feel safer knowing that the officer is being recorded. Everyone would know that someone else is watching the officers so he or she could not abuse one’s authority and get away with it. However, if the officer or citizen is in the wrong, the recording would tell the truth. Usually, there would be no footage to back up what the …show more content…
People think that wearing the camera is invading one’s privacy. However, the only time the officer would have the camera on is when he or she has approached a citizen. If the officer is not abusing his or her authority the camera being on should not be a problem. There are people who believe that the body cameras will not capture any evidence or facts. That is inaccurate because the evidence and facts would be video recorded not tape recorded, therefore one could see it for his or herself other than hear it. It is easier to see what someone is doing rather than imagine