Are Police Body Cameras Effective

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A police body camera is a video recording system that is used by law enforcers to record their interactions with the public and gather video evidence at crime scenes. Police body cameras are an essential change that the American public and law enforcement desperately need. Every year there are complaints of police officers allegedly using their power and weapons in ways that may or may not have followed correct police procedures. There are also cases where the officers’ reports differ from the suspect’s account of what really happened. Having a police body camera will help determine the truth because of the video evidence. People argue whether police body cameras are effective or ineffective. Police body cameras display the world and policing through the eyes of the officer and the video from the cameras help paint a much …show more content…

In a complaint against Orlando police, Monique Fernandez said officers threw her to the ground and misplaced her $3,000 bracelet when they arrested her outside a club, but on the arresting officers body camera, the video shows that there was no bracelet on Fernandez’ wrist. Citizens or officers cannot argue or lie about what really happened if the evidence is right there proving them wrong like in the Fernandez case, after viewing the video from the police body camera, she agreed that it did not happen as she initially claimed. This is a great example of why body cameras are useful because both the officer and the person getting arrested can be dishonest but the camera will show what actually happened. Police body cameras help prove people’s false accusations wrong. If there is no police body cameras, officers or citizens could take advantage because there’s no evidence exposing their actions, but if there is a police body camera then the camera will show who really is guilty or not

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