The article will discuss research on police body camera impact and body camera ethics. Mainly, law enforcement’s ability to effectively fight crime depends on public perception of the legitimacy of officers’ actions. Several recent civil disturbances across the US after using lethal use of force by highlights current challenges. That is in maintaining the public perceptions of law enforcement legitimacy. Significantly, body-worn cameras get viewed as one way of addressing this challenge and improving law enforcement practice in general. The technology has diffused rapidly in the US, offering several benefits to law enforcement.
RECORDING POLICE INTERACTIONS IMPACT
There has been an interest in body camera ethics with the implementation of body-worn cameras. Axon, a company supplying body cameras, provided cameras to law enforcement agencies. However, law enforcement agencies were slow to adopt the technology. Agencies noticed the benefits whereby their officers were in critical incidents but leveled the public’s playing field. This occurred primarily when the crowd was in critical accidents, and the body cameras acted as evidence. The body cameras began to show how police officers interacted with the public and how the people responded.
BODY CAMERA ETHICS AND POLICE BODY CAMERA CONS
There are several police body camera cons that law enforcement agencies should be aware of. First, they are expensive and unreliable for many departments. Forces have to budget for the camera and ancillary equipment such as mounts, training, and data storage facilities. Mainly, smaller departments feel overwhelmed with the costs and thus have suspended body-worn programs. Secondly, theyinvade citizens’ privacy, exposing and subjecting them to facial recognition software. Finally, they decrease police officers’ safety while negatively affecting their mental and physical health. There is a need for a proper analysis of police body camera impacts and body camera ethics.
body camera ethics and police body camera cons
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