Body Cameras Work

Body cameras can provide protection for both the officers, victims, and accused individuals. Body cameras show evidence for every individual so no one ever feels they were wrong for something.

Body cameras provide protection for officers in many different ways. One way the cameras protect officers is when a officer makes a decision with a accused individual there decision can be reviewed and evaluated to make sure the officer did everything right. Body cameras also help officers when people make a false claim something that happened or was said.

Because there is video evidence from the camera, it eliminates false claim. Video recording is good when officers are recording victims statements and witness accounts because it can help the officers and victims in court because everything that was said is recorded so they do not forget what might have happened. For example, said Lt. Kevin Mckellick “We’re able to review the videos, so if there is some type of discrepancy or the officer does not remember exactly what was said or done at the scene at the time, we can go back and look at it while we’re compiling our report.” For officers, protection video recording can be good evidence that is difficult to refute in court. Therefore there is always evidence if the officer is right or wrong.

Police officers wearing body cameras can provide protection for victims. When victims statements are being recorder it helps in court with better prosecution against accused victim and it has higher conviction rates and fewer trials and more plea deals due to the fact there is evidence against accused individuals. Says Elliot Knetsch, “They feel safe. They tell the officer what happened. That statement given right at that moment is more likely to be the truth than what comes out even half an hour later, when the implications of what has happened start to set in.”It also helps because it eliminates victims from having to remember stuff months later in a courtroom because usually if they have to testify later on down the road they will forget details on what happened and now that there statement is recorded from the police body camera there statement will never get changed. It then does eliminate officers asking the same questions later on to because everything is recorded so they can just go and look back on the video instead of re asking a victim the same question. Body cameras very much help victims because fewer victims recant now then before so now more accused individuals will be locked up for their wrong-doing because victims recanted for the fact that they were scared to testify because they thought the accused would not be prosecuted but now that there is video less victims are scared to go in front of the person and testify and now the court just plays there video and has them testify and the accused is usually always convicted so it protects a lot more victims.

Officers that have on the body camera can provide protection for accused individuals. For accused individuals body cameras help them because it reduces 50% of force officers use because some officers use extra force when they think there will be no witness and they can just say what they want happened but now that there is cameras cops have to follow the steps on getting a accused individuals. For example Commander Chris Peter says, ” Any officer who is doing the right thing on a daily basis would want to have a camera on them.” The cameras can clear documentation of encounter with suspect so everything can be looked back at. Body cameras can prevent confrontation from officer cause some officers say stuff to people off of their race or because they just look suspicious but for there being a video it prevents that because officers can’t start a confrontation for no reason. Last reason it helps accused individuals is it shows if the officers reasoning was justified for arresting the accused individual so that when they go to court to sentence the suspect they have proof on if the officer was right or wrong for the arrest made.

Some people believe that body cameras are a waste of money due to the fact that some officers do not always turn there camera on. So it doesn’t change how cops are but that is the reason that now cops cameras are always supposed to be on from when they start work to when they get off; so they never have to deal with being in the wrong for not turning there camera on. Even though they’re supposed to turn the cameras on when they start work, some officers try to keep them off so the unlawful things they are doing aren’t recorded. That’s how most police officers get away with murder. Now that there are body cameras police officers try to say it is self defense when they illegally kill a victim.

This essay proves how body cameras can provide protection for officers, victims, and accused victims.

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