Module 1: Journal: Pros and Cons of Body Cameras CJ-406- Contemporary Issues in CJ Southern New Hampshire University 09:01:20 GMT -05:00 Pros of using body cameras The use of body cams in the police force has been instrumental as they provide so many benefits, not only in reinforcing communit...
The use of body cams in the police force has been instrumental as they provide so many
benefits, not only in reinforcing community policing but for training as well. But one of the main
benefits that body cams contribute is that it greatly elevates self-awareness for the public and for
officers. Both parties are aware that they are being recorded and so they behave better by default
in turn helping minimize police brutality and civilians overreacting. Body cams also help
improve evidence collection, decrease complaints for officers, decrease use of force, strengthen
officers’ performances, accountability and help demonstrate transparency to the public
(President's Task Force on 21st Century Policing, 2015).
Cons of using body cameras
Just like anything, while body cams are a great resource to use to help build rapport with
communities by providing some accountability and transparency, they can also work against a
positive relationship between police and the public. One of the main concerns when it comes to
body cams and the public is privacy concerns. According to the NYU article I found, it
highlighted how body cams footage is technically a public record and so that raises a lot of trust
issues with the public as footage collected during an encounter can defiantly be a violation of the
publics rights (Body Cameras, Law Enforcement, and Privacy Law, 2019). Another drawback is
how expensive body cams can be, especially the maintenance. It’s not even the body itself but
the training, software/highspeed internet, storage and even technicians to address any
malfunctions (Utecht, 2023).
09:01:20 GMT -05:00
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