Police-Worn Body Cameras

The potential use of police-worn body cameras has recently been an intense topic of discussion in Congress. With President Obama requesting $263 million (Dann and Rafferty) to fund the use of the equipment throughout U.S. police departments, many people are left wondering if they are worth the money. The small devices are meant to be worn by on-duty police officers to record their encounters. Is incorporating police-worn recording devices an excessive tactic in law enforcement or is it truly necessary? This is the question Congress has been dealing with recently. Due to and recent and further past events, there seems to be a need for more evidence, accountability, and protection within our court system and law enforcement. Lack of better evidence and accountability from both police and civilians have left police and civilians feeling that they have been mistreated by each other and by courts. In order to protect civilians and police officers from brutality, lawsuits, and further danger, all police officers should wear working body …show more content…
Officers receive better learning from a scenario-based program than a scripted tutorial or computer-created video because it shows realistic expectations of what encounters and major calls look like (“Implementing Body…”). Police officers are not shocked by their own first real-life encounter or call. Officers also see what correctly performed maneuvers looks like from the point of view they will be seeing and can also be shown recorded examples of what not to do (“Implementing Body…”). This improves police technique, which as previously addressed also facilitates safety and trust in communities, less use of force, and less complaints against police. Communities and officers joining the force can feel confident that they are getting the best education possible if they are shown real footage caught by body cameras to prepare them for their