Benefits of Police Body Cameras

Benefits of practice of law Body CamerasAs with any new technology, police consistence- have on cameras be becoming the new reduce in the law en halement community. While camera and surveillance systems have been virtually for a quite a while, body-worn cameras have seen increase popularity as some(prenominal) high profile cases have brought this technology to the forefront. As agencies proceed prior with pilot programs to evaluate its workoutfulness, they must decide if the perceived benefits justify the bell and expense to implement such a program.From the general public perspective, the use of body worn cameras represents police accountability and transparency. By their use solo studies have shown they improve incumbent professionalism and doings. As agencies implement body worn cameras, officers will be more cognizant of their actions and interactions with the general public and little likely to cross the line between use of force required to apprehend suspects and blatant over use of force.That same perspective is alike true from the law enforcement community. Studies have shown from many distinguishable sources that when individuals are macrocosm recorded or that they are conscious(predicate) their actions are being recorded, their air will change. They are more aware of their behavior and will potentially alter their interactions with the person who is recording. Accumulated say further suggests that individuals who are aware that they being-observed often embrace submissive or commonly-accepted behavior, particularly when the observer is a rule-enforcing entity. (Self-Awareness to being watched and Socially-Desirable Behavior, 2013, p. 2). There are many generation in an officers career when the person they arrest and the behavior they display on scene is quite the stark contrast when some(prenominal) meet in the courtroom for trial. The professionally dressed defendant who speaks intelligently is much different than the drunken p atron that was involved in a fight and arrested for battery. Had camera footage been available, the impression would be quite different when presented to a judge. If the defendant was aware that he was being recorded, his behavior would most likely be different. It commode be incredibly frustrating to arrive in court to meet a defendant dressed professionally in a courting with an angelic demeanor thats completely opposite of the person who was arrested. victimisation cameras to enthrall that persons true character and behavior hind end be very beneficial when it comes to prosecution. (McFarlin, 2015, para. 4).Along with possible behavior modifications, opposite perceived benefits of body-worn cameras for agencies are reduced citizen complaints and officer use of force incidents. In 2012, the City of Rialto law Department, in conjunction with the University of Cambridge (UK), conducted a yearlong deliberate on the effects and impacts of police worn body cameras. Over the b usiness line of a year period, different patrol shifts were given cameras while others were non. The analyze was a random sample of different shifts at different times over the course of the cartoon. After the yearlong pilot, the results were amazing. The groups that were assigned body cameras had a decrement of use-of-force incidents by 60% from the old year. The theme also think that citizen complaints for that same group were reduced by 88% over the previous years findings. The Rialto Police Chief stated, Whether the reduced number of complaints was because of the officers behaving bump or the citizens behaving betterwell, it was probably a little bit of both. (Police executive Research Forum PERF, 2014, p. 5).In another study on how body cameras reduce citizen complaints, the Mesa Police Department conducted a yearlong study circumstantialally focusing on reducing complaints. The pilot program consisted of cardinal groups 50 patrol officers with assigned body cameras a nd 50 without body cameras. both(prenominal) of the groups were similar in demographics and assigned patrol duties. The study, conducted in conjunction with the University of Arizona, cerebrate that the patrol officers without body cameras had three times more citizen complaints. In addition, the study also concluded that the patrol officers that had been wearing the body-worn cameras had a 40% reduction in citizens complaints and 75% reduction in use of force complaints from the previous year in which the body cameras were not used.In both studies, the overwhelming results state that body-worn cameras reduced citizen complaints. This is due in part to behavior on both sides from the awareness of having the incident being recorded. Greensboros Police Chief Ken milling machine states, We real(a)ly encourage our officers to let mountain know that they are recording. Why? Because we think that it elevates behavior on both sides of the camera. (PERF, 2014, p. 6).Video footage from o fficers using the body-worn cameras can also be used to correct internal agency problems and well as a profitable learning tool. In a recent survey from Police Chiefs around the country on the use of body camera icon, 94% of the respondents stated that they use it as a training tool or for review by administrators to correct officer behavior. (PERF, 2014, p. 7). Body camera video has a multitude of training examples. While reviewing footage, administrators can evaluate flow policies and determine if revisions need to be made based on actual officer encounters. The training department can create very specific scenarios to train their officers based on actual calls in the field. Additionally, officer training can now be specific to the individual agency or internal department.Perhaps one of the biggest benefits to law enforcement will be capturing and documenting demonstration for criminal investigations. Again, its just another tool that can precaution in the successful prosecu tion of criminals. When officers respond to a major abuse scene, most of their focus and first priority is securing the scene and inciteing victims with first aid measures. As they start their interviews and try to put together what happened, it is difficult to remember all the details. By using a body-worn camera, the officer is able to capture the scene and many of the small details that would have been missed. As they are walking around the crime scene, they are actually recorded it as it was upon initial response. This tool can provide a wealth of selective information to detectives that usually arrive well after the fact when it is calm and not hurried. Police Chief Parker of Dalton, Georgia states, Unlike in-car cameras, body-worn cameras capture everything that happens as officers spark around the scene and interview multiple people. The body-worn cameras have been incredibly useful in accurately preserving information. (PERF, 2014, p. 9).Local prosecutors are also encou raged and actively engaging agencies to adopt this technology. Having a video record to present in court is usually hard to defend. In Kentucky, a local exculpation attorney commented on the use of providing body-worn camera video. It makes it much easier for them to understand a guilty plea is probably going to be in their stovepipe interest, because you dont want a jury to see this. (Mateescu, Rosenblat, Boyd, 2015, p. 27). This is particularly true for municipal violence case when the video evidence is provided in court. Many times, peculiarly if there is a pattern of abuse and the victims are afraid, they do not want to press charges. Gathering evidence is difficult at best. couple with uncooperative victims and prosecution is almost nearly impossible. By providing prosecutors with video evidence upon arriving on scene, it will capture the demeanor of the victims and suspects as well as any injuries sustained. Providing this information to prosecutors, they can build a cas e thus far if the victim refuses to press charges or declines to provide a statement. Chief Miller of Topeka stated, When we show suspects in domestic violence cases footage from the body-worn cameras, often they introduce guilty without even having to go to trial. (PERF, 2014, p. 9).ReferencesMateescu, A., Rosenblat, A., Boyd, D. (2015). Police Body-Worn Cameras. Retrieved from http//www.datasociety.netMcFarlin, C. (2015, January 7, 2015). Body-Worn Cameras Benefits and Best Practices Article. InPublicSafety. Retrieved from http//inpublicsafety.comPolice executive Research Forum. (2014). Implementing a Body-Worn Camera Program. Retrieved from http//www.justice.gov/iso/opa/resources/472014912134715246869.pdfSelf-Awareness to being watched and Socially-Desirable Behavior A heavens Experiment on the Effect of Body-Worn Cameras on Police Use-of-Force Special section. (2013). Police Foundation, 1 14. Retrieved from www.policefoundation.org