Moral Panic It is not uncommon for laws to be passed in response to moral panic. A moral panic occurs when events unfold that are seen as a threat to society. All too often, lawmakers react by implementing laws that are made in a hurry and without proper advisement (Wasserman, 2015). According to Wasserman, legislature regarding issues like child molesting, the protection of fetuses, and drugs were passed too hurriedly as the result of moral panics. These solutions are presented to the public to ensure that something is being done, but these solutions aren’t foolproof. It has yet to be determined if the solution of implementing body cameras is just a hasty response to moral panic. It appears, if balanced, that it’s a good policy. Every stakeholder …show more content…
Police brutality accusations aren’t some sort of new phenomenon. According to Nunes, a survey found that the majority of individuals who have experienced force from police officers felt that those officers handled the situation inappropriately. This is an alarming percentage. A recent case that occurred in Staten Island, NY gained national media attention. In 2014, police stopped Eric Garner and were under the impression that he was guilty of selling untaxed cigarettes. There was a bystander who recorded the officer who tried to arrest Garner. The bystander claimed that he had witnessed Garner trying to break up a fight before he was approached and questioned by the law enforcement officer. When Garner disputed the officer’s claims, things got physical and the officer put Garner in a chokehold. The NYPD bans chokeholds, but that didn’t stop the officer from performing one as well as several others who helped hold him down. In the video, it was evident that Eric Garner kept repeating that he couldn’t breathe. The officers didn’t loosen their grips on him, and he died shortly after. The officer was not indicted even though there were two total amateur videos showing the encounter (Nunes 2015). According to Nunes, a body-worn camera could have helped this case go the other way. If this officer had been wearing a body-camera, there may have been more evidence to conclude that the officer was responsible for Eric Garner’s death without a reasonable