Should Police Officers Wear Body Cameras Essay

Should police officers wear body cameras? In the case of Officer David Muniz, body camera footage shows the Cleveland police officer acting heroically, trying to calm down a violent and suicidal man even after the man shot and wounded Muniz. Theodore Johnson, a 64-year-old with a long criminal record including a murder charge, had been threatening his wife and landlord with a gun. As Muniz turns makes his way up to the apartment, Johnson fires at him twice from the top of the stairway. One shot strikes Muniz in the chest. Incredibly, Muniz not only survives the shooting but stays in the apartment and tries to save the man who just tried to kill him. Body cameras can help reinstate trust between the community and the police force. For decades

police officers have been judged for making poor decisions and conducting themselves in an unprofessional manner. Body cameras serve as proof and protection to the officer’s judgment while on duty. Body cameras should become a requirement for each police force to solidify trust with the community, improve personal conduct, protect the police offices from false complaints, and increase safety. Body cameras will assist in improving the trust within the community.
Communities rely on police departments to protect and serve, and the police in turn, rely on community support and cooperation, but the relationship is not always friendly. Events surrounding the use of excessive force, such as the riots that took place in Baltimore and Missouri, have depleted the relationship between communities and police. “According to a study by the University of Cambridge’s Institute of Criminology, the use of force by officers wearing cameras fell by 59% and reports against officers dropped by 87% against the past years.” Body worn cameras have significantly improved evidence procurement for investigations and court proceedings. The study also found that security, reliability, cost, and technical capacity were the primary reasons for selecting body worn cameras. These studies point towards the potential of body worn cameras to build transparent relationship between police and public. Body worn cameras will be recording each move by a law enforcement officer; the officer will be obliged to issue a warning of being filmed before taking any action against a person. At times, this warning alone will be sufficient to prevent a crime from occurring or even help prevent violence. This transparency in encounters will also help bring down the possibility of misconduct on the part of police officers and solidify relationships within the community.
When officers and citizens are aware that their actions are being recorded, both are less likely to engage in the type of conduct that leads to complaints or fatalities.

According to interviewed police officers, once members of the public were notified that they were being filmed, “even drunk or agitated people tended to become more polite.” As a result of these behavioral changes, “police departments saw a nearly 90 percent decrease in complaints against officers since body cameras have been introduced into the communities.” The use of body cameras should be able to reduce the complaints and potentially help to nourish a culture of more respectful interactions between police and the public. “Body cameras should, in turn, be expected to lead to greater public engagement with police officers and ultimately to improved public safety.” Complaints of police misconduct usually begin with a written or oral statement by a person claiming that one or more officers engaged in conduct that breaches the law or policies of the department. “Officers and other witnesses then give their own statements of the incidence, video footage, unlike the memory of a human being, does not become less accurate over time.” In addition, many complaints are currently resolved only by making a credibility determination between the complainant and one or more of the officers involved. “By objectively recording events as they transpire, body cameras could help investigators make even more accurate findings.” These finding can help maintain the integrity of the officer being accused and the police

department.
Body cameras are a great way to help increase the life span and safety of a police officer, while on duty. Some examples of body cameras increasing safety and integrity amongst police officers are on domestic violence calls. Domestic violence calls can be some of the most difficult to prosecute, “due to the nature of the relationship between attacker and victim, the victim will very often recant their official statements or refuse to cooperate with law enforcement after the initial call.” This often leads to cases being dismissed and wasted time. Another example of body cameras increasing safety has to deal with aggressive animals which are an unnecessary distraction while trying to deal with saving lives. Body cameras show proof of the animal’s aggressiveness and allow officers to show why shooting the animal to incapacitate is needed. Public safety is important, but also the life of the officers enforcing the law