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Running head: INCREASE THE USE OF BODY CAMERAS 1

INCEASING THE USE OF BODY CAMERAS 2

INCREASE THE USE OF BODY-WORN CAMERAS

People normally see police officers as the law and order force, empowered by the people to protect and serve. The sacrificing of freedom by the people in society to embrace the social contract allowing police officer the right to enforce laws created by elected officials is a big responsibility. The contract is an evolving agreement. As people in society became more educated, their thirst for transparency progress towards wanting to know more or even being a part of police encounters. For example, Rodney king was pulled over for a traffic infraction by a Police Officer from the Los Angeles Police Department, on March 3, 1991. The encounter turned violent resulting in four Police officer forcefully beating Rodney King. This incident was not caught on camera attached to a police officer chest. It was caught by a spectator, recording from a distance, clearly showing what transpired that day.

Nevertheless, this incident captivated citizens across the country, resulting in major riots in Los Angeles and other cities across the United States. Other high-profile incidents caught on camera occurred years later further the conversation for policy changes. Such incidents include, Eric Garner alleged chokehold incident, Tamir Rice incident and Freddie Gray incident. These occurrences created a major debate on policing in the United States. Some Activist such as the Black lives matter movements have called for Officers to wear Body-worn Cameras. Many municipalities have heeded the call and implemented policies requiring Police Officers of their department to wear body cameras.

The use of video recording to tell the story, during police encounters are invaluable. Nonetheless, Police Department continue to evolve fighting crime, by using technology to reduce wrongdoing and documenting such activity through video. Police department must increase the use Body-Worn Cameras to protect Police Officers and members of society.

Video recordings have been very popular with many in society. There are many different assessments as to why video recording is so important. Some citizens believe that it’s a way to have a firsthand view of Officers behavior, others view it as a visual recording of an encounter between police officer and citizens. Police department executive are turning to requiring their Officers to wear Body-worn cameras, because of their belief that it helps to close the relationship between the community and police, its use create trust and transparency that benefit humanity. This thought process amongst leaders of police department has created to rise in the use of cameras. This is so popular that the Federal government created grants for Police Departments to but cameras. According to Berman, M (2015) Then attorney general Loretta Lynch stated “This body-worn camera pilot program is a vital part of the Justice Department’s comprehensive efforts to equip law enforcement agencies throughout the country with the tools, support, and training they need to tackle the 21st century challenges we face.” Furthermore, Berman, M. stated The Department of Justice granted almost twenty “million dollars” to law enforcement agencies across the country to implement their body camera program. (Mark Berman, May 1, 2015 Justice Dept. will spend $20 million on police body cameras nationwide. The Washington Post, https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2015/05/01/justice-dept-to-help-police-agencies-across-the-country-get-bodycameras/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.fb98e40aa6b9 )

Body-worn cameras use has a psychological effect on both citizens and Police Officers. Studies conducted by researchers on the use of cameras showed that it helps to reduce allegations against police officer, reduce the use of force against citizens as well as reduction in the use of force against police officers. The thinking is that many citizen behaviors will change for the better during police contact. Also, Police Officer will modify their performance, because of the camera use. I spoke to a Police officer Brown from the local Police Department, task with wearing a camera as part of a pilot program to implement body camera use. According to Officer Brown “citizens are skeptical at first, However, as brief explanations as why it is important to record events or police encounters, most people are comfortable with its use.” Additionally, Officer Brown went on to state he was totally against body camera use when it was first mentioned but now, he thinks it’s the best tool available to policing. believes that both parties tend to remain subdued during an encounter. Officer Brown account was supported by research conducted in the Rialto Police Department and the Colorado Police department. According to by Barak, A. (2016) explained in his periodical the importance of body worn cameras in the police department and how it modifies citizens behavior when reporting a crime. Barak, A, stated body-worn cameras help to reduce the use of force between citizen and police. Body worn cameras is use as a tool to gather information from an officer point of view. This footage can now be present to the public to restore legitimacy of a police department. The public right to know and their thirst for video footage far outweigh any privacy issues. Barak, A references a randomized meticulous experimentation, that was conducted in the Rialto Police Department. The researchers checked the effectiveness of recording instruments on a police officer and their effectiveness with citizens alike. They found there was a reduction of roughly fifty percent of total incidents of use of force and about ninety percent decrease in residents’ complaints, by officer use of body-worn camera.

Even though many in society see the use of body cameras as important to police work, there are active opposition to its use. Many Police officer have a reluctance to the use of body worn cameras. This reluctance come from an uneasiness for the public to see every aspect of policing. Also, several officer fears recording of private moments being published. Other Groups such as the New York City Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) are also very cautious about how the implementation of body-worn cameras and other video recording device being use for policing. Their concerns of use include mass surveillance, who control the publication of camera footage and citizens privacy concerns. According to NYCLU (2016) the organization is optimistic that the use of body-worn cameras can further “transparency and accountability.” However, the New York Police Department must guard against intrusion into citizens privacy matters.

Nonetheless, Body camera use and recording angles can sometimes cause perspective Bias based on how an event gets recorded. According to Boivin, R (2017) Body-worn camera and the perspective bias video recording can have on the average citizen or even the officers themselves, that wear such device. In this article, the writer looks at how perception can inspire certain action. In experimenting on perception verses reality, the author used random college students and police recruits. The exercise required a fictional encounter, ending in deadly physical force being used. Two videos set up. One filmed with a body worn camera and the other was mounted for surveillance. In the study the students and police recruits were ask about the correctness of the involvement. Unanimously, no bias was found on the part of the students. On the other hand, bias was found by the police recruits, from footage viewed from surveillance camera. The views of the students and officer were considerably different when footage was viewed from the body worn camera. The writer expressed that such biases can alter someone thinking about footage seen. Also, the angle of a camera setup can “manipulate viewers perceptions and opinions.

Body-worn cameras plays an integral role in policing citizens. The fact is that video surveillance is all around us. Whether it a home owner using video technology to protect his/her home, a business using cameras to watch over a business, a mom hiding hidden camera in a stuff toy, to watch the treatment of their child. we must come to terms with camera use. Law enforcement is a part of society and it was inevitable that camera use would be a part of law enforcement. It is well documented that there are issues relating to police use of force and citizens negative response to such use of force. Body-worn cameras are helpful to society. It helps us all to see what happen during an encounter between police and citizens, enabling us all to make informed decision about an incident. Therefore, Police Department increasing use of body-worn cameras, is a positive for all in society.

References

Barak, A. Williams, Farrar, W., & Sutherland, A. (2016). The effect of police Body-Worn

Cameras on Use of Force and Citizens’ complaints Against the Police: A Randomized

Controlled Trial. Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, vol. 31 issue 3, p509-535.

27p. Retrieved from https://eds-a-ebscohost-com.vlib.excelsior.edu

Berman, M. (2015). Justice Dept. will spend $20 million on police body cameras nationwide.

The Washington Posthttps://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post- nation/wp/2015/05/01/justice-dept-to-help-police-agencies-across-the-country-getbodycameras/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.fb98e40aa6b9

NYCLU (August 5, 2015) Comments of the New York Civil Liberties Union in regard to the

New York Police Department’s proposed body-worn cameras policy/ retrieved form

https://www.nyclu.org/sites/default/files/releases/NYCLU_Comment_NYPD_BWC.pdf

Boivin, R., Gendron, A., Faubert, C., & Poulin, B., (2017) The body-worn camera perspective

bias. Journal of Experimental Criminology. Vol. 13 issue 1, P125-142. 18p. retrieved

from https://eds-b-ebscohost com.vlib.excelsior.edu/eds/detail/ DOI 10.1007/s11292-

016-9270-2