...Police Body Cameras Should police officers wear body cameras? The conflict in portland centers on how and when officers have access to video from body cameras. Videos of police shootings across the country have become critical. However police officers across the nation are beginning to push back on body cameras. Police officers should have to wear police body cameras. Some police stations are still debating on wether or not they should use police body cameras. State laws vary about what the public can see. Existing recordings are recovered under these laws, such as videos from cameras mount on patrol cars. “Body cameras produce more footage than dashboard cameras” (Kaleem). Footage that can show officers inside peoples homes. Body cameras have become an easy political answer to the problem of trust in police. Any policy that hides, shields, or opens up body-camera footage is probably wrong. Police body cameras created an issue on making a new contract between the city and the public union. Portlands labor agreement with...
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...Police Worn Body Cameras: A Step in the Right Direction Andrew Cordier ENG122: English Composition II Instructor Amy Morris August 18, 2016 There have been numerous advances in technology in recent years and some include law enforcement. Over the years, there have been huge strides in the technological advances in surveillance. Police Departments are one of these groups who have seen an increase in surveillance technology like dashboard mounted cameras, and now law enforcement agencies are looking to equip their officers with body cameras that can be worn on an officer’s lapel, glasses, and on their chest. The idea of equipping officers with these body cameras has been a hot topic of debate in light of recent past events, such as the unarmed shooting of Michael Brown by Officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson Missouri Mandatory use of body cameras should be put into place because it will protect civilians from the use of excessive force and hold officers responsible for their actions, not invade the privacy of both the public and police officers with the proper guidelines in place, and lower the rates of police use of excessive force, while lowering the rates of false claims against officers. With more and more cases of use of excessive force against civilians, people across America are becoming outraged by the actions of police officers and feel that taking the word of an officer is no longer good enough to explain their actions. Americans across the nation want answers...
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...citizen gets arrested, they should not have to worry about a police officer using excessive force that could lead to injury. According to a podcast, “A 14-year-old boy was hospitalized after police officers used excessive force without body cameras”(Police Officers). Currently, many police officers use excessive force, “after body cameras were implicated there was a 60% drop in the use of excessive force”(White and Coldren). According to an article,” Not wearing body cameras can lead to unnecessary hospitalizations and deaths”(ProCon.org). This issue is critical because police officers will continue to use excessive force, leading to more deaths and hospitalizations. Police officers should be required to wear body cameras to improve accountability, protect officers and citizens, and provide evidence when no physical evidence is available. A primary concern as to why police officers should wear body cameras is to improve officer accountability. According to a podcast, “Police officers were not wearing body cameras at the time they hospitalized the 14-year-old boy”(Police Officers). This evidence is significant because if the officers wore body cameras they may have been found guilty of using excessive force with evidence. Additionally, an article states "Body cameras can help solve...
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...Are police body cameras worth the price? Police stations across the country are questioning whether they should make police officers in America wear body cameras, and if the problems with the body cameras are worth the price police stations must pay. I think police officers in America should not have to wear the cameras because they are expensive, and the cameras raise huge privacy concerns. One major problem with the body cameras is the cost, according to one article “Just to equip the top 100 largest police stations in the world would cost well over a billion dollars” (Anastasia 23). If it cost that much to just purchase cameras for 100 police stations it would cost an a lot more to purchase them for every police station in the country, And put more cities and states in debt. Also, another article says, “Departments must also pay for storing the video”(stateline.org 1) On top of paying for the cameras police stations must also pay for storing the videos which most police stations can not afford to do. Most police stations are unsure how to pay for the cameras because they are so expensive....
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...Should police officers be required to wear body cameras? Police officers have had their ups and downs with public citizens in the past years, making many citizens feel a loss of trust. However, there are many things the law enforcement system can do to increase citizens' trust. Finding an effective way to do this while still focusing on their jobs can be challenging. Many individuals argue on whether body-worn cameras are a benefit in solving this concern. However, police officers should use body cameras because they have received substantial support from citizens and are helping police officers lower their reports of misconduct. Firstly, since law enforcement started using body-worn cameras, police misconduct complaints have been lowered....
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...ENG 112 30 November 2015 Body Cameras Providing Accountability Thesis Statement: Yes, body cameras should be worn by police officers because they provide accurate accounts of what happens at crime scenes, help civilians trust police officers, and give Americans an idea of what it is like to be behind the gun to more appreciate officers. I. Introduction II. Body cameras provide accurate account III. Body cameras help civilians trust officers IV. Body cameras gives an idea of what it is like behind the gun V. Refutation VI. Conclusion Body Cameras Providing Accountability The shooting of Trayvon Martin has elevated a necessity around the country for police officers to be equipped with body cameras. Yes, it is necessary for police officers to wear these cameras for accountability for oneself and a potential victim. Body cameras can rule out possible suspicions of wrongful deaths or mistreatments, such as racism. Police officers should want to protect themselves and their jobs with this device that records what is actually happening and being said at the crime scene. Yes, body cameras should be worn by police officers because they provide accurate accounts of what happens at crime scenes, helps civilians trust police officers, and gives Americans an idea of what it is like to be behind the gun to more appreciate officers. Body cameras provide an accurate account of what happens at crime scenes. The use of body cameras is a great way to get first...
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...In light of recent events, tensions amongst American citizens and police officers have risen due to the alleged use of excessive force and the unjust shootings of African Americans. In the aftermath of such incidents, the integrity of police officers has been called into question, raising the issue of whether or not police should wear body cameras. With increasingly widespread reports of such incidents, it is clear that body cameras do need to be implemented into police forces in order to restore public confidence in police officers. On the 17th of July 2014, Eric Garner was approached by NYPD police officers, on the suspicion of selling cigarettes without tax stamps. Garner responded by saying that he would not be harassed and that he...
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...Cop cameras are slowly changing the ways of policing. The cameras are used to oversee a police officer's shift. The camera records all encounters of cops and civilians. Many people have expressed concerns over the use of the cameras because of personal privacy invasion. Police body cameras may go against the Fourth Amendment to a certain extent their benefits far outweigh these concerns. Police body cameras have been the talk of officers for many years. Police cams have been around since at least the 1960’s (Criminol). Cop cams were invented to prevent unlawful cops. They were also made to provide more accurate evidence of what happens with officers on the job. A long time ago officers first tried to use dash cams that were mounted inside the car. This posed issues of not recording quality videos. Another issue was that the camera did not getting the entire encounter of the officer and civilian. Eventually dash cams became less popular, since body cameras were invented. One issue is that, “Body cams will often capture people at their worst-drunk, abusive, profane, and at their most personal- during domestic disputes, mental health crises, medical emergencies, and etc” (Rutledge). With technology progressing the...
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...With the rampant police brutality going on in today’s society, many try and search for solutions that can alleviate this problem in some way. One potential way that could possibly prevent some of that brutality is the use of police body cameras. There are a few reasons why this would be useful. One obvious benefit is that use of force will decrease. Another is that people will be less likely to complain about police actions, which means less money spent on following up with those complaints. One of the potentially most useful benefits is that the cameras will give a clearer understanding in any case, making it unnecessary to speculate on a certain matter. Of course, there are some complications, since this is no clear-cut matter, with many viewpoints. Some assert that with body cameras, people who may not want to be on camera might end up there. Others say that according to recent events, police body cameras aren’t worth the hassle and their cost. Analyzing these points can lead us to an objective conclusion as to whether they really are worth their cost. Police body cameras can be used in order to decrease cops’ use of force. As the article “Should cops wear cameras?” by Brandon Griggs points...
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...Police Officers Wear Body Cameras: Pro or Con? Should police officers wear cameras while on duty to document their activities? The body camera is intended to provide an accurate, objective view of every event with a civilian. In an ideal situation, the camera would provide evidence of or discourage police misconduct while protecting officers against unfounded complaints of brutality or corruption. When unnamed black teenager Michael Brown was fatally shot by police, there was no body camera footage available. His death was followed by weeks of riots in the streets of Ferguson, Missouri and started the national debate about police conduct particularly when it involved Africa-Americans. While some witnesses to the events that evening support the officers account of self-defense, others argue that Michael...
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...Police brutality has been a huge issue in the U.S. going on for many years now, millions have died due to police officers, and majority of the time the police claim they did their duty rightfully. Who is there to blame other than the citizen killed by an officer when there were no witness accounts, and the police officer acted dramatically in killing a citizen, whom didn’t do anything to be killed? Being a very controversial subject, America has always wanted to find ways to fix the problem. Police have already obtained dashboard cameras but is that enough? For the past few years, the dashboard cameras have been some help on catching police brutality. But what about body cameras? Would they make a better more positive impact in the police...
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...When will police officers stop killing the innocent who don’t deserve being killed? Are they worth being trusted as heroes? Is leaving home, even safe to go buy a loaf of bread at the supermarket that’s just around the corner? These are some of the questions in some communities across America. According to research from The Washington Post, in just this year 2017, at least 766 people have been accidentally shot to death by police officers from their own community and only 88 people were killed with evidence provided by the body cameras (Police Shootings 2017 Database). Whether the person was armed, colored skin, reaching for their driver licenses, or even picking up their hands to cover their nose before sneezing all over the place. Police...
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...iSPY Police brutality is on the rise, and many cases that can not really be answered because it is the citizen’s words against the officers’ word. “US law enforcement officers killed up to 1,199 people last year, the majority of whom were 'people of color,'” says The New York Times writers Marc Santora and Nikita Stewart in “Police Body Cameras Could Come to New York Soon” on December 3, 2014. According to Santora and Stewart, Mayor Bill de Blasio is speeding up a plan to outfit nearly all New York Police Department patrol officers with body cameras to ensure the public’s safety. Gonchar uses intelligent words, using direct quotes from Mayor Bill de Blasio, and usage of questions to help persuade whom it may concern. In the editorial by Santora...
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...Should All Police Officers Wear Body Cameras? Sometimes, the words of one person are shaky and false, with the recording of occurrences, or actions, someone’s first words can be clarified without any doubt. Police officers should wear body cameras to find out which members of the staff are accountable. Body cameras should be worn by all police officers to capture interviews or police chases. It would greatly benefit court cases by supplying evidence to some cases by playback of a video captured on the camera. All police officers should have to wear body cameras to benefit law enforcement and other branches from it. People argue that if police officers were required to wear body cameras, it would be an invasion of their privacy as an individual....
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... 101 Body Cameras as a Preventive Measure Senseless violence has filled every community, most societies, and all boundaries. At any given moment physical violence can strike out against any given person. Even police officers-who by law are commission to protect and serve-are not safe from violent acts upon their person, or from engaging in acts of violence against the very own civilian they are sworn to serve. However, in both circumstances the lines between justice and corruption, or self-defense and aggression, can be blurred beyond visibility. Often, training can take a backseat to instinct, and decisions made as a result should be subject to review by higher authorities, that the truth and justice may be served. In my opinion, police officers should be required to wear body audio and visual recorders while serving active duty within a community, in order to protect themselves and members of the community by providing an honest and accurate account of confrontation, altercations, and disputes. First of all, with all the crime and hate against police officers, body cameras are a good way to prove their innocence when they are doing their job the proper way. If they get into an altercation with someone and need to use excessive force and the public is outraged, I believe the body cameras will show what actually happened. I do not condone deadly force at all, but if the police officer is in danger and the suspect is trying to hurt or even kill him and the officer draws and...
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