Persuasive Essay On Body Worn Cameras

In the past few years, the technology utilized by police has continued to change and evolve. Beginning in 2013, hundreds of police departments began to utilize body-worn cameras on their officers. Over the last few years, whether all police departments should implement these programs has become a rising issue. Body-worn cameras provide departments with unbiased evidence of officer interactions with the public. They have been shown to improve department transparency, improve officer and citizen behavior, decrease length and difficulty of investigation of public complaints, and provide concrete evidence during arrests and prosecutions. However, body-worn camera programs are relatively new technology and there has been limited studies and information available to police departments wanting to implement these new body-worn camera programs. Major concerns over public privacy, officer privacy, and financial costs have not been fully investigated. This lack of research and information has allowed multiple body-worn camera programs to be established and implemented with a lack of guidance. The policies regarding body-worn cameras vary …show more content…
Complaints against police often occur during incidents when no witnesses are present and the complaint investigation becomes the officer’s word against the citizen’s. Video evidence produced by body-worn cameras changes this dynamic. The video and audio allow investigators and the public to view what happened during incidents from an unbiased view. It also allows for complaints to be handled quicker due to more evidence being readily available. Even if it is assumed in most cases the recording supports the officer’s report of the incident and not the citizen’s, the opposite could also be true. In cases, such as these, the officer’s conduct can be examined and he or she can be held accountable for mistakes made or violations