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rlinareslas_bodycams_draft.docxpolice Body cams new technology 1
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Police Body Cams New Technology
Roberto Linares
D01610577
DeVry University
images of body cams [Photograph]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.bing.com/images/
Abstract
The use of body camera technology in law enforcement especially in local police departments, is growing at a rapid rate. Many of these agencies are using the technology on a limited basis and a number of cities across the United States are now requiring their police departments to adopt the technology for all their first responders. Researchers have begun to examine the technology’s effect on citizen complaints and officer’s attitudes and street level behavior while on duty. Although research is being done to see how the technology affects police officers in the field and how encounters between police and citizens are changing, there is no research to find out how citizens feel about the technology.
Fatal encounters between police and citizens have been on the rise in an alarming rate. Police cruisers are equipped with dash cams that record activities that take place in front of the cruiser but don’t record what happens if the encounter moves to the sides or the back of the cruiser. The body cameras allow the entire encounter to be recorded from start to finish including audio of the encounter. This could be the help that police officers and other law enforcement agencies have need to deter such fatal encounters between police and citizens. The body cam can serve as the equalizer in preventing police misconduct and false citizen accusations against police officers.
Table of Contents
Abstract……………………………………………………………………… Page 2
Introduction …………………………………………………………………. Page 4
Historical Time line…………………………………………………………. Page 5
Observation and Recording System for a Police Vehicle……………………. Page 5
Ultra-Distance Laser Night Vision Camera for Police………………………. Page 5
Face Recognition System Based on Intelligence Glasses……………………. Page 6
Analysis of Impact …………………………………………………………… Page 6
Social Impact ……………………………………………………………….... Page 6
Cultural Impact ………………………………………………………………. Page 8
Political Impact ……………………………………………………………… Page 10
Economic Impact ……………………………………………………………. Page 11
Environmental Impact ………………………………………………………. Page 11
Ethical Implications …………………………………………………...……. Page 13
Camera’s Technology Introduction …………………………………………. Page 13
Police Officer Involved Shootings ……………………………………….… Page 13
UCLA …………………………………………………………………....…. Page 14
Control Over Recordings ……………………………………………………. Page 14
Limiting the Threat to Privacy from Police Cameras ………………………. Page 15
Conclusion ……………………………………………………………….…. Page 15
References ……………………………………………………………….…. Page 16
Introduction
The body camera is a new technology that can be worn by law enforcement or the military. This technology gives a firsthand look at what happens while on the field. These small devices have the capability of recording 10+ hours of video with a sound range of up to 75 feet. These cameras can stream live with a Wi-Fi connection and have infrared night vision technology.
Video has proven to be invaluable when it comes to police officers and their encounters with civilians. While the police have always had dash cam video, the emerging technology of body cams have already had an impact on policing. This technology can lead the way for other law enforcement agencies adopting it.
Historical Timeline and Predecessor Assessment
The first cameras were first used in Danish back in 2006. The first mobile cameras were connecting to the vehicle they were using, but it did not cover the complete area they were investigating. The United States did not really start using the body worn cameras until 2014 with the shooting death of Michael Brown and the chocking death of Eric Garner. Since then President Obama, with the authorization of the Congress to pay back half of the cost of video cameras for three years. Some states went above and beyond to get them and some are still thinking about getting them. Before long everyone will be wearing them while on shift.
Observation and Recording System for a Police Vehicle
April 30, 1991, a system which includes a video camera and a video recording assembly electronically powered and disposed within a police vehicle for viewing of exterior, surrounding areas of the vehicle for the purpose of recording events or activity within a predetermined field of view. This system helps police officers normally traveling alone in a police cruiser would require close monitoring of movements.
Events relating to death or serious injury of police officers are statistically on the rise in an alarming rate. When a police officer makes a stop of another vehicle in a typical traffic stop, the police officer leaves his vehicle to inspect and interview the party he has stopped. This puts the officer at a high risk of retaliation or unbeknown to the office the motorist may have committed a previous felony and may attempt to flee or kill or harm the police officer. (Peterson, 1988)
Observation and Recording System for a Police Vehicle Ultra-Distance Laser Night Vision Camera for Police
On May 12, 2010 the ultra-range laser night vision video camera was introduced to law enforcement. This camera relates to an imaging device, particularly to a police laser with ultra-range night video camera. Used as a monitoring device, night vision is tool used at night in night operations for observation target and monitor certain areas of interest.
Night vision cameras can record activities from a distance at night or dark areas where a crime or illegal activity maybe taking place. Night vision cameras give police officers a view of perpetrators and activities from a safe distance giving police time to evaluate the situation and plan how to handle a situation before entering the area of activity keeping the officers safe. (Grant, 2009)
Face Recognition System Based on Intelligence Glasses
November 18, 2015 technology based on a utility face recognition system based on intelligence glasses was introduced to law enforcement. Face recognition is an embedded system platform that connects to a suspect face database storehouse and background center. This system consists of wearable nature of intelligence glasses and face recognition system that helps identify suspects that may have committed a crime.
This technology has played a positive role in various industries in public and police safety. This technology is used in public places such as airports and other channel ports. This technology helps keep police offices and the public from potential suspects who have committed violent crimes in the past or have the capability of doing so in public places. (Grant, 2015)
Analysis of Impact
Social Impact - Since the shooting of Michael Brown by police officer Darren Wilson in the town of Ferguson, Missouri body cameras have become the topic of discussion. Since the incident, President Obama has asked Congress to allocate 75 million in funds for technology and training of law enforcement wearing body cameras. The Justice Department provided the first million in grants (Levinson-Waldmen, 2015). Everyone has been in support of the new technology for police wearing body cameras while on duty. This technology will be used to collect evidence for criminal cases and investigations that will shed light to not only encounters with the public but the public encounters with corrupt police officers that may fabricate charges against innocent people.
Many factors led police to wear body cameras especially when too many people were being shot by police officers that said that were in fear for their life. There too many instances where people were shot that were not armed. Some of the shootings that gained national attention were Michael Brown and Eric Garner. According to an article written “The theory behind the use of the body camera is that video evidence will leave us with some truth about what happens in situations between civilians and police” (Feige, 2015). Many complaints were filed as well as lawsuits because of allegations of mistreatment and dishonesty within the system. In 2013the Civilian Review Board of New York City documented more than 5,000 complaints of excessive force by police officers that totaled 11,334 allegations (Feige, 2015) This new technology will protect both, police officers and the public they are to serve and protect.
Michael Brown was shot 6 times.
An autopsy performed by a private medical examiner hired by the family, determined Michael Brown was shot 6 times, twice in the head. Medical examiner, Baden, has confirmed in a press conference that Brown was shot from the front.
One of the bullets entered the top of Michael Brown’s skull, suggesting his head was bent forward when it struck him and caused a fatal injury,
Michael Brown was shot 6 times [Photograph]. (2014, August 18). Retrieved from
http://www.unheardvoicesmag.com/2014/08/18/10-facts-michael-brown-case/
Cultural - Since the fatal shooting of Michael Brown, there has been a call by the public for police officers to wear body cameras while on duty. Body camera technology has had a growing interest coming from an increasing fact that the U.S has a real problem with police brutality.
Culture is defined as what describes any group, business or organization founded on its practices, behaviors, and values. Culture is something that is not set in stone and can be changed. There are two elements in policing, integrity and ethics. These two elements are supposed to bring help and build trust in communities in which police officers serve. Like any other employee from another job, some police officers will welcome the cameras and some will not care one way or the other. Some officers will make the decision of whether or not to lose their jobs or go to jail for their actions. One positive result from body cameras is that the technology will help protect the public from corrupt police officers and will protect police officers from false allegations made by the public.
Body cameras don’t lie. When police officers wear the cameras as part of their uniform while on duty it not only protects them but protects the public they serve. Police officers that have been falsely accused in the past have benefited from the technology as the camera records the encounter with the public. Once the officer tells the civilian they are being recorded the less likely they would be to act in an abusive manner towards the officer. Same goes for the public; the body cam holds officers accountable for their actions and words. Officers that have gotten away with misconduct in the past will think twice about their actions while on duty. This makes for a win-win for both law enforcement and civilians.
Justice for Michael Brown [Photograph]. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.bing.com/images/
IGRE
In today’s culture, police officers are perceived as untrustworthy and the media has influenced the way the public perceives law enforcement today. According to the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), “distrust of police officers has serious consequences. It undermines the legitimacy of law enforcement, and without legitimacy police lose their ability to function effectively” (www.instituteofjustice.com).
The black community has been the most affect culturally by police misconduct. Since the black community’s perception of police officers is viewed as how they interact with them. There is no real trust in the black community between them and officers since the beating of Rodney King, and the killing of Michael Brown and Samuel DuBose. Samuel DuBose was unarmed when he was shot moments after being pulled over by police officer Ray Tensing. According to C. Robert Gibson, the officer claimed that he was in fear for his life when DuBose supposedly tried to run him over. The officer’s body camera captured the event and proved otherwise. If it wasn’t for the fact that the officer was wearing a body camera, the officer would have gotten away murder as the camera showed DuBose holding his door closed and starting the engine as the officer tried to gain entry to his vehicle as he shot DuBose in the head (Gibson, 2015).
Political - For years’ research has been done to evaluate the body camera and its benefits and recommendations for its uses. The PERF (Police Executive Research Forum) along with the Department of Justice’s Office of Community Orientation Policing (COPS), researched the use of the body camera in law enforcement agencies. Through their evaluation of survey, interviews and video recorded by selected officers, a list was created to help guide on proper use of such items (Miller, L., & Toliver, J., 2014). There was a good perception of body cameras being a useful technology among chief officers whose department’s already wear the body cameras.
The benefits found after evaluations were promising. With proper practice and use of cameras police officers have documentation of cases or encounters with the public avoiding provocative situations by improving police officer’s respectability towards the public, providing accurate records of events to investigate incidents and complaints officers involved allowing the public to see video evidence of police activities and encounters to make sure right actions are performed. Body camera footage can strengthen and support training of other officers, and the video footage can serve as evidence during an internal investigation having to do with police misconduct or externally such as someone being prosecuted for a crime.
Questions were raised as to effects that cameras will have on the communities and their relationships. The answer to some of the questions raised were to have the cameras record constantly throughout the police officers shift reducing the possibility of eluding recordings while on duty. By having the cameras recording continuously, the question of privacy issues can rise between public and officers. If police officers have the privilege of only recording what they deem as necessary, the role of the camera as being an equalizer in encounters between them and the public will no longer be a benefit.
In order for the benefits of body cams to be influential attributes, rules have to made. “It’s the agency’s responsibility to develop comprehensive written policies. Policies should be specific enough to provide clear and consistent guidance yet allow room for flexibility as the program evolves when developing policies, it is useful to consult with supervisors and frontline officers, legal advisors, police unions, prosecutors, and the community” (Miller, L., & Toliver, J. 2014).
Economic - Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch announced that the Justice Department is to award grants totaling more than $23.2 million to 73 local and tribal agencies in 32 states to expand the use of body-worn cameras to explore their impact (Justice News, 2015). The grants were divided into categories to be distributed to purchase body cameras the police officers can wear as part of their uniforms. The grants would also be used for training and technical assistance of accurate techniques associated with proper use and examine test the impact of the camera’s use among police departments and their communities. All agencies that received grants would be responsible for developing a plan for long term storage and fees for storing data collected. The grants were part of President Obama’s budget to purchase 50,000 cameras within a three-year time frame.
Environmental Impact - Body cam technology helps police officers across the nation keeping the officers’ and the public they and protect. Eventually we will have to deal with a negative element of having this technology. There is a type of waste found in body cams as other electronic devices. This type of waste is grouped with other types of electronic waste called E-Waste. “E-Waste broadly covers waste from all electronic and electrical appliances and comprises of items such as computers, mobile phones, digital music recorders/players, refrigerators, washing machines, televisions, and many other household consumer items” (Pinto, 2008).
There are many hazardous elements that are in E-Waste and our inabilities to properly dispose of this waste. E-Waste contains such materials as lead, mercury and cadmium which are extremely dangerous and as separate entities. “Lead exerts toxic effects on various systems in the body such as the central and perineal nervous system, the hemopoietin system and the male and female reproductive system. Mercury causes damage to the genitourinary system, the central and peripheral nervous system as well as the fetus and cadmium is a potentially long term cumulative poison. Toxic cadmium accumulates in the human body, especially in the kidneys” (Pinto, 2008). These are just some of the elements associated with E-Waste.
http://www.moneycrashers.com/electronic-e-waste-recycling-disposal-facts/
Recycling E-Waste is not simple. E-Waste has steps that must be followed in order to properly recycle or dispose of these hazardous raw materials. The storage area has to be certified by the proper oversight committee. The personnel that handles these hazardous materials must be properly trained and qualified on the proper procedures for safe handling in order to protect themselves and their surroundings. “The solution for the E-Waste problem lies in ‘prevention at the manufacturing source’ or the “precautionary principle.’ This can be done by employing waste minimization techniques and by a sustainable product design” (Pinto, 2008).
Ethical Implications
Camera’s Technology Introduction - Body cameras represent the latest technology innovation developed and introduced to law enforcement. Body cameras are small and clip onto an officer’s uniform or worn as a headset that record video and audio of police officer’s interaction with the public they serve. It is suggested by recent surveys that 25% of the nation’s 17,000 law enforcement’s agencies are using the technology (Stanley, 2015).
Much interest in the technology has come from the United States recognizing that it has a problem with police misconduct and violence against its citizens they are supposed to protect. According to statistics collected from media news reports, it is estimated that there are 1,000 police killings per year. It is estimated that 25% of these police officer involved shoots are white officers killing a black citizen (White, 2013).
Police officer involved shootings - Since the August 2014 shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, the attention has focused to the problem of police violence. The Police officer insisted that the teenager Michael Brown had attacked him and was in fear for his life when he shot him. In the same year in December, a New York police office was videotaped putting Eric Garner in a chock hold that killed him. Body cameras came into question on whether the technology may become the solution to police violence and misconduct (Stanley, 2015).
UCLA – The UCLA took a strong interest in police body cams since the technology is able to accurately record both audio and video of possible police misconduct. In the past there was no way to document encounters with police. If there were negative encounters with police it would always be the citizen’s word against the police officer’s about the encounter. Body cameras could be considered the equalizer in these encounters giving the citizens and police officers a win-win situation when it comes to accusations of misconduct (UCLA, 2016).
The UCLA is against persuasive government salience, but when body cams on police officers tend to monitor the government instead of the citizens, the UCLA tends to favor their use. The UCLA has been in favor of cameras being in prison, on police dashboards and in interrogation rooms to monitor police conduct (UCLA, 2015).
Control over Recordings – Editing body cam recordings have been a topic of discussion by the UCLA and other citizen’s rights groups. A long time concern has been if police would be able to what is called, “edit on the fly” the body cams. For example, be able to record only what they deem necessary to record or be able to turn the camera on and off as they please. If this was the case, the body camera’s usefulness and benefit would no longer be a benefit.
Another concern is with the continuous recording of the body cams privacy issues have surfaced. Citizens would constantly be recorded doing daily activities and maybe considered an invasion of privacy. In a report done by the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) disclosed that victims of certain crimes such as rape or witnesses involved in other sensitive crimes may be concerned of retaliation by the perpetrators of the crimes. This becomes a good reason for them not to testify or press charges if they know they are being recorded.
Limiting the threat to privacy from police cameras – Body cams will record the entire behavior of both the police and citizens. The biggest privacy issue will arise when police have to enter people’s houses or any public place police may enter. This includes consensual entry and entry when investigating a burglary call, voluntary participation of investigations and domestic violence calls. DUI traffic stops and other such recordings have been circulated and now immortalized online. Some of these recording include embarrassing behavior and the release of such footage being released increase significantly with the use of body cams.
Conclusion
To conclude this report I’d like to say that technology is changing the way we live our daily lives. The introduction to body cameras to law enforcement particularly to local police departments, has changed the way police and the public interact with each other. There has always been a call by citizens to have a way to monitor police interaction with the citizens its suppose to protect. Body cams have been able to tell the story of the actions of the guilty and help exonerate the innocent. Making sure that every police agency has a body cam should be the Department of Justice’s top priority.
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