Why Are Body Cameras Important

A lot has been taking place in our society between officers (mainly Caucasian) and citizens (mainly African Americans and Hispanics/Latinos). Many of these cases lack valuable evidence which causes a lot of suspicion and accusations that are usually false. Tensions are rising, which is resulting in more discrimination, racial profiling, and even more racial issues overall. The introduction of body cameras to officers in each state would help substantially. Police should be required to wear body cameras because they provide valuable evidence in cases, protect both the citizens and the officers, and the cameras being present influences their behavior.
If all officers were required to wear body cameras, gathering and providing evidence would
Given widespread belief, some type of body worn camera will become a part of police’s tool kits. “It usually takes a high profile incident like a police shooting, and unlawful arrest, public spectacle or alleged abuse of power or a lower profile he-said she-said case that prompts that sort of fact finding mission and that’s precisely where body worn cameras are useful for public safety.”(“BMPpro”) Many cameras lack needed evidence that will make cases easier to solve. Body cameras will help both sides of an altercation be shown, instead of going off of accusations that are possibly
When officers didn’t wear body cameras altercations differed from when they did wear the cameras. “When officers wore body cameras, almost every physical incident was caused by a citizen. When officers didn’t wear cameras, 29% of incidents with physical force were caused by the officers.” (Americas Quarterly) The officer’s and the citizen’s actions will either be proved or disproved because the cameras will be providing the evidence so that it could be proven. Accountability will increase because while using cameras, they can’t lie or contradict the claims of the opposite side because the video has the proof. These are reasons why and how, body cameras will be useful in our society, even though many others don’t agree.

Many sources contradict my position on police wearing body cameras. They often believe that officers wearing body cameras is a form of invading the citizens and officer’s privacy. “Privacy issues are of concern for both cops and civilians. How to deal with those concerns is still being evaluated.” Their privacy might be affected, but overall it’s to protect them by providing evidence to support their claims and provide facts in their case. Therefore, body cameras are more useful to officers and citizens than it is