Posted on 08/28/2016 8:43:56 AM PDT by Oldpuppymax
In a day when the “Black Lives Matter” movement and events surrounding the group’s creation and rise to prominence have directed a heightened level of scrutiny toward the people who protect us, law enforcement body cameras are an indispensable tool. The benefits of these cameras vastly outweigh the cost of providing them. Technology has advanced in the last fifteen years to such a degree that the cameras can be worn without impeding an officer’s ability to perform whatever action is required of them. Body cams provide a dual measure of accountability and protection for officers and civilians alike, furnishing an overall positive effect on the national attitude toward law enforcement.
Most body cameras are the size of the average iPhone 5. Designed to strap to an officers uniform or vest close to the shoulder, the devices can be turned on or off at the officer’s discretion and are capable of both audio and video recording. The average price of a quality body camera is $200-$300. In addition, massive improvements have been made in the cost of video storage. An officer can simply download captured footage into a server at the end of every shift.
California, South Carolina, Nevada, New Jersey, Connecticut, Florida and Maryland have already passed legislation regarding mandatory body cameras for their officers and have seen a huge increase in public approval for law enforcement. Illinois, Texas, Washington DC, Massachusetts, and Colorado have allocated funds for the purpose of providing body cameras and have received support from the police precincts in each respective state. A number of other states have sponsored studies on the viability of body cameras, many of which are coming back with positive results.
Some have raised concerns about body cams, referring to...
(Excerpt) Read more at thecoachsteam.com ...
San Diego did a study using a small group of officers; had really good results.
Now, I believe most all of the officers are wearing a camera.
The most interesting aspect of this camera story is HOW THE CAMERAS HAVE REDUCED “OFFICER ACCUSATIONS OF MISCONDUCT”.
Proving once again .. that most of the time, the officer has acted within reason .. adjusting his aggression against the onslaught of an attack from the perp. Now, the perp is on camera and can’t lie about it .. it’s great.
The officers can turn them off. That I don’t like. Earlier in August I saw a video of a bunch of officers before they stormed into a residential back yard and shot someone, one of them said, everyone make sure your body cameras are off.
Well, I guess it depends upon whether or not you have a Chief of Police who knows how to govern those who work for HER. Chief Shelly Zimmerman is no pushover.
In the beginning of the trial; it was noted that many of the officers just forgot to turn on their cameras (because they are not on all the time). So, she began retraining them to react quicker whenever there was a traffic stop, to just automatically turn the camera on before getting out of the car.
When you have rogue cops like the ones you’re talking about; you should get rid of them quickly; and make sure their actions follow them where ever they go. They are not good for the department or for the people they are supposed to be protecting.
Reminds me of the stories about after the first generation of Dash Cams came out.
Habitual drunk driver with good lawyer who had beaten the rap in court before: “Roll tape” - video of the accused failing the field sobriety test, and committing several moving violations. “I wish to change my plea”
Our police have had car and body cams for some time. We had a guy in court for a traffic stop who alleged all sorts of unprofessional behavior and statements from the cop. Apparently the expression from the guy was priceless when the solicitor rolled out the video showing our cop being totally professional, and the guy being a complete jerk, cussing the cop out, etc.
The judge was not amused with the guy being in court making allegations that were plainly lies, per the video. His judgement reflected this.
From what I can tell, good cops don’t mind the video systems, at all.
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