The Effectiveness of Worn body Cameras by Law Enforcement Officers
The effectiveness of worn body cameras by law enforcement officers
Abstract
Law enforcement is being modernized. There are modern practices that are now part of the law enforcement practice. Body-worn cameras are the practical manifestation of these changes. Though the recent, they have improved policing conditions and have earned a positive response from the general public and some police officials too. The academic research surrounding this subject is, however, divided. There is research which favors such changes in the law enforcement practice and there are also those who talk ill about such developments in law enforcement. This paper aims at analyzing the efficacy the use of worn body cameras by law enforcement officers.
Introduction
Law enforcement has been revolutionized with changing times. There is a blend of technology and information sources which is making law enforcement more accurate and state of the art. While surveillance and cameras are serving the community demands for quite a long time, but worn body cameras have improved the quality of law enforcement considerably. In order to analyze the effectiveness of the worn body cameras, it appears imperative to first analyze the cost and the expenses for implementing such programs. From a public perspective, the worn body cameras depict the effectiveness, transparency, and accountability. Worn- body cameras have also increased the effectiveness of law enforcement since many high profile cases have got the attention of media through the use of such technologies ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"U3MpfZqv","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Jennings, Fridell, & Lynch, 2014)","plainCitation":"(Jennings, Fridell, & Lynch, 2014)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":784,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/BBZA6JX8"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/BBZA6JX8"],"itemData":{"id":784,"type":"article-journal","title":"Cops and cameras: Officer perceptions of the use of body-worn cameras in law enforcement","container-title":"Journal of criminal justice","page":"549–556","volume":"42","issue":"6","source":"Google Scholar","title-short":"Cops and cameras","author":[{"family":"Jennings","given":"Wesley G."},{"family":"Fridell","given":"Lorie A."},{"family":"Lynch","given":"Mathew D."}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2014"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Jennings, Fridell, & Lynch, 2014). Another advantage of the worn body cameras is the increased concentration of the officers during raids and other official conducts. These officers are now less likely to cross the line for the blatant use of force. There are studies that depict an impactful change in the conduct of officers with worn body cameras. Since their conduct is being recorded, therefore, they largely avoid talking ill and making use of their authority in an unjustified manner. This research paper will also analyze the effectiveness of the worn body cameras by law enforcement officers.
The effectiveness of the worn body cameras
With the change in criminal patterns, it has become pertinent to integrate new technologies in criminal research and prosecution. It has long remained a matter of concern that law enforcement official misbehaves and employ bad manners when dealing with suspected criminals ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"Kj0x1j3J","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Gaub, Choate, Todak, Katz, & White, 2016)","plainCitation":"(Gaub, Choate, Todak, Katz, & White, 2016)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":776,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/IULM6L68"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/IULM6L68"],"itemData":{"id":776,"type":"article-journal","title":"Officer perceptions of body-worn cameras before and after deployment: A study of three departments","container-title":"Police quarterly","page":"275–302","volume":"19","issue":"3","source":"Google Scholar","title-short":"Officer perceptions of body-worn cameras before and after deployment","author":[{"family":"Gaub","given":"Janne E."},{"family":"Choate","given":"David E."},{"family":"Todak","given":"Natalie"},{"family":"Katz","given":"Charles M."},{"family":"White","given":"Michael D."}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2016"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Gaub, Choate, Todak, Katz, & White, 2016). There are many instances in history when the unavailability of first-hand resources added complications to further research. However, with the introduction of the worn body cameras, the effectiveness of the criminal procedures have drastically increased. These cameras are now being praised as an efficient tool for accountability. Research, however, about these cameras, reveals mix trends. With their integration in the crime reporting and evaluation, the employment of these cameras has got extreme support. A 2015 report suggests that around 88 percent of Americans considered them as a good tool and have supported the officers wearing these cameras ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"6AEVO5q0","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Gaub et al., 2016)","plainCitation":"(Gaub et al., 2016)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":776,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/IULM6L68"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/IULM6L68"],"itemData":{"id":776,"type":"article-journal","title":"Officer perceptions of body-worn cameras before and after deployment: A study of three departments","container-title":"Police quarterly","page":"275–302","volume":"19","issue":"3","source":"Google Scholar","title-short":"Officer perceptions of body-worn cameras before and after deployment","author":[{"family":"Gaub","given":"Janne E."},{"family":"Choate","given":"David E."},{"family":"Todak","given":"Natalie"},{"family":"Katz","given":"Charles M."},{"family":"White","given":"Michael D."}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2016"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Gaub et al., 2016).
During the administration of President Obama, the increased federal grants from the Department of Justice encouraged different pilot programs for such cameras. These funding and the increased attention of other federal agencies to such initiatives helped to alleviate this support from 88 to 95 percent. At present, the major cities have either launched such initiatives or are planning to launch the worn bodies’ cameras pilot programs in the near future. The critics of such programs often criticize these researches and cite that such researches are brought to the forefront when the pilot programs are still in infancy. This critical analysis somehow is based on weak grounds, since it goes against the major opinions about inducting worn body cameras. Another positive aspect of the worn body cameras is the reduced number of complaints from the officers (Lockhart, 2019). There are other researches as well which suggest that worn body cameras drastically impact the performance of the police officers and force them to employ better behaviors. An analysis of the recent statistics reveals that the worn body cameras have resulted in decreasing public complaints about law enforcement officers. Another perceptive which remains important in analyzing the effectiveness of the worn body cameras is the perceptions of officer ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"V3PDnpzN","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Taylor, 2016)","plainCitation":"(Taylor, 2016)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":773,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/4GVYX9KH"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/4GVYX9KH"],"itemData":{"id":773,"type":"article-journal","title":"Lights, camera, redaction… Police body-worn cameras; autonomy, discretion and accountability","container-title":"Surveillance & Society","page":"128–132","volume":"14","issue":"1","source":"Google Scholar","author":[{"family":"Taylor","given":"Emmeline"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2016"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Taylor, 2016).
There are contrasting results of an officer’s perception of the worn body cameras. For example, some believe that worn cameras add drawbacks to their professional behaviors. These officers also cite fears that worn cameras impeach in the official conduct in a mighty manner. Though, there is no transcribed evidence against the officials’ behavior while wearing these cameras. Another way that reveals the effectiveness of the worn body cameras is a reduction in the conflicting claims of both law enforcement officials and the accused person ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"OnXb1JFM","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Kampfe, 2015)","plainCitation":"(Kampfe, 2015)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":775,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/7C96MYPN"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/7C96MYPN"],"itemData":{"id":775,"type":"article-journal","title":"Police-worn body cameras: Balancing privacy and accountability through state and police department action","container-title":"Ohio St. LJ","page":"1153","volume":"76","source":"Google Scholar","title-short":"Police-worn body cameras","author":[{"family":"Kampfe","given":"Karson"}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2015"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Kampfe, 2015). The recordings of the cameras have made further proceedings so manageable for other officers. The longer a recording is, the better the further research investigation becomes. Many other researchers who have worked on this issues argue that the effectiveness of worn cameras differs between individuals and the law enforcement officials. Both of them stand different see its effectiveness differently.
How it influences law enforcement behaviors
The worn cameras at present have become a piece of routine equipment for law enforcement officials. Those who have been using these cameras for many long have become used to with such equipment. The officials in law enforcement largely speak in favor of such equipment. They cite that although for the young officers, it is an unwanted thing soon they realize that it actually helps them in their official conduct ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"KoCYRxjy","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Wasserman, 2014)","plainCitation":"(Wasserman, 2014)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":774,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/IYLL6VGF"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/IYLL6VGF"],"itemData":{"id":774,"type":"article-journal","title":"Moral panic and body cameras","container-title":"Wash. UL Rev.","page":"831","volume":"92","source":"Google Scholar","author":[{"family":"Wasserman","given":"Howard M."}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2014"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Wasserman, 2014). The statistics prior to inducting such equipment in force suggests that there were a large number of cases where the accused and the official had different positions. These differences in positions have largely reduced and the statistics now suggest that a better working environment is the largest output of these cameras. Another way, in which these cameras have influenced law enforcement is the synchronization of Police conduct with international recognized standards ADDIN ZOTERO_ITEM CSL_CITATION {"citationID":"tsi3vcL0","properties":{"formattedCitation":"(Wasserman, 2014)","plainCitation":"(Wasserman, 2014)","noteIndex":0},"citationItems":[{"id":774,"uris":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/IYLL6VGF"],"uri":["http://zotero.org/users/local/s8f0QVnP/items/IYLL6VGF"],"itemData":{"id":774,"type":"article-journal","title":"Moral panic and body cameras","container-title":"Wash. UL Rev.","page":"831","volume":"92","source":"Google Scholar","author":[{"family":"Wasserman","given":"Howard M."}],"issued":{"date-parts":[["2014"]]}}}],"schema":"https://github.com/citation-style-language/schema/raw/master/csl-citation.json"} (Wasserman, 2014). The American Police Department now stands among the top law enforcement offices in the world. As many types of research and quantitative data suggest favorable results after the induction of worn body cameras, therefore, it remains apparent that these cameras will become permanent equipment for the service.
Conclusion
The present age is the age of revolution. Each area of our life is influenced by the technological revolution. This technological improvement at the time benefits human existence and at the time it becomes difficult to cope up with the challenges it brings with it. The worn body cameras stand in between this debate. There are people who speak in favor of this and there are people who cite its disadvantages. An unbiased analysis based ion the researches referred above suggests that with the induction of the body-worn cameras, there is a considerable improvement in law abidance. This practice of law-abiding is adopted both by the citizens and law enforcement officials. It also brings the American Police Department at par with the globally recognized standards of policing. Another reason for their adaptability in the service is their moral acceptance. Ethically, these cameras are also acceptable and therefore there exists no point against them as they don’t violate anyone’s privacy.
References:
ADDIN ZOTERO_BIBL {"uncited":[],"omitted":[],"custom":[]} CSL_BIBLIOGRAPHY Gaub, J. E., Choate, D. E., Todak, N., Katz, C. M., & White, M. D. (2016). Officer perceptions of body-worn cameras before and after deployment: A study of three departments. Police Quarterly, 19(3), 275–302.
Jennings, W. G., Fridell, L. A., & Lynch, M. D. (2014). Cops and cameras: Officer perceptions of the use of body-worn cameras in law enforcement. Journal of Criminal Justice, 42(6), 549–556.
Kampfe, K. (2015). Police-worn body cameras: Balancing privacy and accountability through state and police department action. Ohio St. LJ, 76, 1153.
Taylor, E. (2016). Lights, camera, redaction… Police body-worn cameras; autonomy, discretion, and accountability. Surveillance & Society, 14(1), 128–132.
Wasserman, H. M. (2014). Moral panic and body cameras. Wash. UL Rev., 92, 831.
