Are Body Cameras Good Or Bad

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Recommended: Impact of technology on policing

Keenan Woods-Scott
With the many events that have happened over the past decade in terms of criminal activity, technology has vastly evolved in order to comfort those who are endanger/unsafe in addition to the prevention of crime. The criminal justice system purpose is to not only protect us citizens but to also prevent any sort of threatening/dangerous activity. In order to follow these guidelines, the system implemented many solutions/procedures that have the ability to prevent any situation. The use of cameras has developed over time in order to prevent certain types of crime especially within different environments. Cameras are used practically everywhere for security purposes especially within banks, buildings, governments offices, open …show more content…

The goal of the body cameras is to prevent police misconduct and also protect police against false accusations of abuse especially when there is not a sufficient amount of witnesses or evidence (Stanley, 2013). In addition, the use of these cameras is another form of active monitoring for each stop police officers make. According to Stanley (2013), policies and technology are designed to ensure that police do not have the power to pick and choose which encounters to record. If this happens, there would be no use/purpose of the cameras and in result, the violation of stop and frisk tactics would continue to be an issue. Notifying the public that there is a body camera in use is highly considered as well. If a burglary is in progress, police officers may enter right in the middle of the crime and mention that a camera is in use or “lapel camera in operation” (Stanley, 2013). Simply mentioning the existence of the camera could potentially stop the offender from continuing further or even scare the offender away. Once verbal statement is announced, offenders will have the pressure of being watched and if they do get away, it is possible that the camera has a good picture of …show more content…

However, there are many limitations CCTV cameras could have as the device continues to evolve. One of the main limitations is that with cameras being in public places, people may feel a vibe that the area is “unsafe” due to cameras installed or fear of crime (Ratcliffe, 2011). This could potentially push citizens away from going to certain areas and definitely hurt the business industry. Further limitations mentioned is that “displacement” would occur meaning potential criminals would move out of the camera sight in order to commit the crime which is called spatial displacement (Ratcliffe, 2011). In this case, victims are still unsafe if they are not in the camera view for police to monitor. However, with the limitations, technology evolving, and police departments conducting many studies, it seems possible to overcome these limitations and find a better

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