Matthew Nestasia Essays (386 words) - Video Surveillance

Matthew Nestasia Body cameras Good or Bad? Should the police feel like their privacy is being violated? The answer is yes, with most officers of the law now being required to wear cameras on their uniforms while on duty they are unable to have any form of privacy with their partners. Even though I do not like the lack of privacy cops have now, I still feel like the body cam is a great tool for evidence that could defend or worsen an officer's case. The advantage to wearing the camera is that it records everything that is happening to the cop, so if they're in the middle of a crime scene face to face with the criminal the camera will record the actions and words of the suspect. This evidence can be used to almost certainly incarcerate the criminal for their actions. For example the video we had watched during class, on video the criminal was caught driving recklessly and attempting to assault the officer who gave chase. If the criminal had survived the encounter he would have been thrown in prison thanks to the v ideo evidence. The body camera is also good for weeding out the dirty cops in the force. Since the officers wear the camera while on patrol often times they'll forget to shut it off when doing things in private. You'll either find an officer in the bathroom or the officer doing some shady business with a criminal suspect. While this invasion of privacy has some good benefits, it also has bad ones too. Imagine your with your partner in the car and the two of you are just hanging out and talking, you have to watch what you say the entire conversation because your being recorded. The possibility of you saying something dumb like "The chief is a loser" is very high when you think you're alone or with your friend, this could lead to some possible tension among officers that could lead to someone losing their job. In conclusion I feel that body cameras are necessary and should be worn by all officers while on duty. But I don't ignore the issues surrounding the body cam aswell , like a lack of privacy. I almost think of them as a necessary evil in a way.