Should Police officers Be Required to Wear Body Cameras

Should Police Officers be Required to Wear Body Cameras?

Kuiana M. Robertson

ENG 122:  English Composition II

Instructor:  Prof. Lisa Teitler

October 30, 2017

Should Police Officers be Required to Wear Body Cameras?

Working thesis statement:  Even though wearing body cameras can violate an officer's privacy; all police officer should be required to wear body cameras.  The use of body cameras can help protect the rights of the officer as well as the citizen, and they can tell the truth about who's wrong or right in a situation.

Ariel, Barak. (Fall 2016). Police body cameras in large police departments, Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, 106(4),  729-768 https://search-proquest-com.proxy-library.ashford.edu/docview/1902638002/9188F8106ACC4771PQ/3?accountid=32521

Summary of the article:  Body-worn cameras (BWC), is spreading worldwide between police departments under the assumption that the performance of officers is improving with the use of these devices.  Also, a suspect’s demeanor is known to change because of the video recording device.  When a study was conducted with a Denver police district, the findings suggested 35% lower odds of citizens complain about police and their use of excessive force but 14% greater odds for a complaint misconduct when the body cameras are in use.  Arrest rates dropped tremendously with the use of BWCs.  When BWCs are not in use, the odds of arrest are 18% higher than when they are in use.  Police officers become more cautious with the handlings of people when the BWCs are present.

Assessment of article:  The source is Police body cameras in large police departments.  The author is Barak Ariel.  The publication is from the Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology; Chicago, Volume 106, Issue 4.  The reason I know this article is credible, valid, scholarly, and appropriate for my academic paper is because Northwestern University published the article on behalf of the School of Law.  It was also last updated on July 25, 2017.

Reflection on the article:  Based on this article, I can claim that it should be required for all police officers to wear body-worn cameras (BWCs) while on duty.  My reasons for my claim and it fits my thesis statement is because a study based in a Denver police department shows that everyone; police, and citizens as well, remain on their best behavior when the devices are present. The arrest rate is down, and complaints against the excessive force being used by officers are down as well.

Crowe, Matthew S., Snyder, Jamie A., Crichlow, Vaughn J., Smykia, John Ortiz.  (February 3, 2017).  Community perception of police body-worn cameras; The impact of views on fairness, performance, and privacy.  Community Justice and Behavior. 44(4).  589-610  https://doi-org.proxy-library.ashford.edu/10.1177/0093854816688037

        Summary of the article:  Shortly after Ferguson, Missouri police officer Darren Wilson was found not guilty for the killing of teen Michael Brown, the White House released a report on 21st. Century Policing.  The report stated that the body-worn cameras improved the collection of evidence on shootings and unnecessary use of military tactics and equipment.  The BWCs would cost the U.S. government 75 million dollars, and that would only cover a small amount of the U.S.’s 18,000 separate law enforcement agencies.

        Assessment of article:  The source is Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of West Florida.  The publication is Criminal Justice and Behavior, Pensacola, Florida, Volume 44, Issue 4.  The reason I know this article is credible, valid, scholarly, and appropriate for my academic paper is because the article was first published online on February 3, 2017, by The Department of Criminology an Criminal Justice, University of West Florida.  Also, I found this article in my Ashford University Library SAGE Journals database.

        Reflection of the article:  Based on this article I can claim that  BWCs are a good way to collect evidence of shootings and unnecessary use of force by police officers.  The devices are very expensive and will cost the United States 75 million dollars just to equip a few the law enforcement agencies in the country.

Zimmer, Adrienne.  (June 2017).  Through the lens.  Law Enforcement Technology. 44(6).  18-19, 22-23.  https://search-proquest-com.proxy-library.ashford.edu/docview/1903041478/abstract/BFD046B88D03485APQ/17?accountid=32521