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  • Essay / Discussion of whether police officers should be required to wear body cameras

    Table of ContentsImplementation of Police Body Cameras Police Technology on Security Power and Finance Police Technology on Security Integrity judicial system Conclusion Controversies have arisen regarding the ethics of police body cameras. The death of Michael Brown by the actions of a police officer sparked a movement that police officers should wear body cameras to record their interactions with the public. The article will present the opposing arguments regarding the use of police cameras in the field. This paper will also address the main arguments commonly expressed by both sides. Specifically, many argue that body cameras are an invasion of privacy, an abuse of power, and a high expense for local police departments. The paper will also discuss the safety and awareness that body cameras bring to the public, as well as how they provide excellent evidence for trials and transparency/accountability to police officers. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Implementation of Police Body Cameras Police body cameras have been a controversial issue since their invention. The problem of police wearing body cameras began when eighteen-year-old Michael Brown was fatally shot. The importance of using police cameras is to show how modern technology affects the justice system. There are many differences of opinion on whether police body cameras should be an official requirement. I will argue that police should be required to wear body cameras because it ensures safety and awareness, provides evidence for trials, and incentivizes professionalism. Police Technology on Security Power and Finance Many will argue that police body cameras are a driving violation and too expensive to integrate into every department across the country. A common concern is that police body cameras constitute an invasion of citizens' privacy. According to Emmeline Taylor, “body cameras are used to intimidate and also to record in highly subjective areas and over-policed ​​areas.” Police officers would intentionally go to a high-crime area and wait for someone to say something that is against the law (e.g., drug dealing). This would primarily affect undercover police officers, as anyone could notice a uniformed police officer and not speak up at all. Most individuals feel that once a camera is in front of them, they have to start acting professionally or else it can be used against them. The abuse of power by the police has been a major subject for around twenty years. According to Alex Sutherland, this “suggests too frequent use of force and an excess of what is often demanded by police officers”. Police officers use too much force when trying to subdue a suspect, but excessive force is not necessary. If a suspect cooperates with the officer and follows all instructions given to him, the officer should not need to throw him to the ground or even begin to choke him. Unless the suspect is uncooperative with the officer and threatens to harm the officer, then he has the power to do what he thinks is right to subdue him. Additionally, police officers are known to use too much force.