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Relations between police and the public
The impact of technology on law enforcement
Effect Of Technology On Policing
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Recommended: Relations between police and the public
With each growing day, it becomes apparent the relationship and trust between police officers and citizens are rapidly diminishing. Particularly, with recent cases where police officers have been found not guilty of fatally shooting an unarmed man, planting evidence to ensure the suspect face jail time, or just simply committing police brutality. Police officers are given the task of protecting citizens and property, enforce laws, making arrests, issue tickets, investigate crimes and testify in court. However, who is given the responsibility to assure officers are not abusing their powers. Therefore, to ensure police officers are actively performing the duties of their job body cameras should be implemented to assure safety, accountability, …show more content…
Concerns about the intrusion of privacy and breach of Fourth Amendment Right presents many difficulties and can deter many police department from equipping their officer with body cameras. However, because of the complication, the endorsement by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), who does not like the increased use of body cameras to keep tabs on citizens, but recognize that body camera can result in the reduction of use-of-force incidents and assist in holding law enforcement more accountable to the community. In the article, it states, “the ACLU advocates that most privacy protections will have to come from restrictions on subsequent retention and use of the recordings. The ACLU recommends the following policies to assist a department in protecting privacy rights: (1) Recording should be limited to uniformed officers and marked vehicles, so people know what to expect. An exception should be made for SWAT raids and similar planned uses of force when they involve non-uniformed officers… etc.”(RAMIREZ) In other words, the ACLU advocacy and recommendation for privacy policies lighten the load and risk for police departments to acquire body cameras. Therefore, the burden that faced by citizens and police officers regarding privacy is resolved knowing that a civil liberty group, ACLU, are helping to implement proper policies to protect
There are topics brought up about the incident in Ferguson and other police shootings that did or did not have body cams. There have been talks in communities about trying to reduce the police misconducts in the communities and the workplace. It is proven that officers who didn’t wear body cams had 2 times the illegal use of force incidents. This article will help me prove further that body cameras being worn will help reduce so many incidents, not saying all incidents
However, protection of our citizen’s privacy is of utmost importance. Police and other law enforcement agencies have to learn to work with and around the laws in order to get their job done.
Have you ever heard of the idea of body-mounted cameras on police officers? If not, David Brooks will introduce you to the idea that was discussed in an article from New York Times called “The Lost Language of Privacy”. In this article, the author addressed both the positive and negative aspects of this topic but mostly concerned with privacy invasion for Americans. Although that is a valid concern but on a larger scale, he neglected to focus greatly on the significant benefits that we all desire.
One of the sources used to disprove that body camera isn’t the answer includes Jamelle Bouie article, Keeping the Police honest. Mr. Bouie is the chief political correspondent at Slate who graduated from the University of Virginia with a political and social thought degree (Tumblr.com). His work consists of issues relating to national politics, public policies and racial inequality. His work has also been published in Slate online magazine, the New Yorker, the Washington Post and TIME Magazine (Tumblr.com). Slate is an online magazine that post about the news, politics, business, technology and culture (slate.com). In Jamelle article, Keeping the Police honest he talks about incidents where police officers were being recorded and took excessive
Police officers with their body cameras: a history and back ground paper to answer the question if should all police officers wear body cameras, it is important to first look at the history and back ground of the topic. According to article of Journal of quantitative criminology, writers Ariel, Farrar, Sutherland, Body cameras have been given a new eye opener to people about the excessive use of force against their community members. Arial, Farrar, and Sutherland in the article state “The effect of police body warn cameras on use of force and citizens’ complaints against the police: A randomize controlled trial” describe their observation as:
“Keeping the videos hidden will only heighten mistrust and spur conspiracy theories about what they really show”. Law enforcement also have confidence in body cameras, diminishing police brutality and crime, by exposing all types of misconduct. They would minimize environments where victims feel powerless and belittled when up against an officer. “Body cams can not only record the entire context of a police encounter, but are invaluable in assessing the demeanor of victims, witnesses, and suspects,” said Smith. The cameras will help collect evidence of wrongdoers in any aspect.
If misused, body-cameras can be a violation of privacy. In order to prevent this, proper legislation needs to be enacted in order to ensure privacy rights are protected. The only policy related document regarding police body cameras is the “Guidance for the use of body-worn cameras by law enforcement authorities” which is issued by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada. This document discusses that rules should not be enforced only by local police departments, but for Canada as a whole. As this is the only document related to police body cameras, it is undoubtable that there needs to be serious legislation created. As it is suggested that body cameras pose as a risk for privacy rights, it is evident in order to implement them effectively, there needs to be regulation constructed. Body cameras can be an effective and useful tool, but without legislation, they can cause problems. Bruce Chapman, president of the Police Association of Ontario expresses, “We want to do it right. We don’t want to do it fast” when asked about the implementation of body cameras. While body cameras, are important to have in today's society, it is also dire to have it done properly. By enforcing strict guidelines, and documents addressing body camera legislation, it will ensure the process is done correctly. In order to implement body cameras properly, privacy rights need to be assessed. This process takes time, and proves body cameras need to be implemented at a pace legislation can follow. Thomas K. Bud, discusses the worry that privacy will be violated with body cameras. Factors such as facial recognition, citizen consent of recording, and violations of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms all pose as risks. While legislation has not matched their guidelines with modern technology, it proves how important it is to create new documents, in order for changes to be made. Therefore body
There have been lots of modern technologies introduced in the United States of America to assist law enforcement agencies with crime prevention. But the use of body-worn cameras by police personnel brings about many unanswered questions and debate. Rising questions about the use of body cam are from concern citizens and law enforcement personnel. In this present day America, the use body cameras by all law enforcement personnel and agencies are one of the controversial topics being discussed on a daily base. Body worn cameras were adopted due to the alleged police brutality cases: for instance, the case of Michael Brown, an African-American who was shot and killed by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, on August 2014, Eric Garner died as a result of being put in a chokehold by a New York police officer, and John Crawford, shot and killed by a police officer at a Walmart in Beavercreek, Ohio.
Since their inception, police body cameras have been a controversial topic as many do not agree on their effectiveness and legality. To the trained eye, body cameras clearly have no negatives other than the sheer cost of their implementation. Some people, nonetheless, do believe that it is an encroachment of privacy for police to record private and/or public interactions even though it is purely legal. While that may be seen as a negative, it is wholly subjective and must be completely ignored when considering the factual analysis of police body camera use that is necessary to verify their validity. When only taking fact into account, there is no way to deny the nearly infinite benefits of body cameras.
However, according to Brandon Griggs, a CNN Senior Producer, a petition to urge officers to wear body cameras has been signed by more than 150,000 people. This is a sign that reflects the idea that civilians are supportive of such a mandate. Furthermore, policies and procedures can be implemented along with the usage of cameras to ensure that civilians’ privacy is not being invaded. For example, police officers can wear a tag that displays a sign that there is live recording of events taking place or officers must be required to disclose to civilians that their statements and actions are being recorded at the present moment. Another privacy concern is one that concerns the police officers themselves.
Body cameras have been the new initiative over the past few years. Barack Obama announced that in 2014 allocated millions of dollars for federal funding to allow police officers to wear body cameras and to increase their training (Harvard Law Review). There are many organizations that have voiced their opinion of the use of body cameras. Many have stated that body cameras are a good idea and they should be implemented. The American Civil Liberties Union has stated that they are believe body cameras should be used across the country, but the public should still have their privacy (Harvard Law Review).
Cameras have become a large debate in the fight against brutality for the main reason of privacy. It was said by Richard D. Emery that police themselves and other public figures should not expect privacy. They are always in sight and every action of an officer can be seen whether they are aware of it or not. It is an officer’s job to know the limit of force and to also report other officers pushing that limit. The instillation of cameras on officers and in their vehicle’s is for officer and civilian safety. It is also the only “way both the public and the accused police officers be more assured of a fair assessment of police actions” (Emery). Some departments have already begun installing more
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.
By confronting the difficulties and costs of buying and deploying body worn cameras, creating laws, policies, and preparing its officers in how to utilize the cameras, the agency makes a sensible desire that the public and the news media will need to survey the activities of officers. With certain constrained special cases that this production will examine, body worn camera recordings should be made accessible to the general population upon request. It is vital to consider which level of government ought to be settling on the vital choices and decisions. With the wide rage of opportunities and the difficulties police body cameras may face, the laws and policies should be made and created at the state and the local level. “Considering the importance of police accountability and transparency as well as the diversity of America’s police departments, it is crucial that local lawmakers craft police body camera legislation that is appropriate for their constituencies” (Feeney, 2015).
Stanley, Jay. "Accountability vs. Privacy: The ACLU's Recommendations on Police Body Cameras." American Civil Liberties Union. N.p., 09 Oct. 2013. Web. 15 May 2014.