Edwards 1

Deshay Edwards

Professor Watson

English 1001

17 March 2018

The Use of Law Enforcement Cameras in Today’s Society

In today’s society there has been many mixed feelings about the tactics of police officers

across the United States. The concern has become even larger after police brutality has become a

huge issue within the minority group. Such things as stop and frisk, and other police harassment

tactics were always an issue between police and citizens. There was never enough proof to hold Commented [WY1]: Your direct approach to your topic
works well in your introduction! You state the reason for
the body cameras on police officers well here.
accused police officers accountable for their actions until now. With the use of body worn

cameras, citizens and police officers should feel safe while doing their job. Many believe these

cameras would invade the privacy of suspects; however the use of these cameras will let the

public see for themselves that BWCs are in fact there to help with police presences.
In 2013, there were only 3,900 police departments within the United States alone that
Commented [WY2]: Your thesis statement is well
developed and supported. However, I don’t see any
reference to any of your sources to support your points
here. One source must be included in your introduction.

used Body-worn cameras (The Body-Worn camera). However, following the incident in

Ferguson; in 2015 the Obama administration announced that they were making an investment in Commented [WY3]: Change to a comma.

equipment such as BWC by law enforcement organizations (The Body-Worn camera).

After the use of body worn camera had went into effect in the United States there has

been a drop of 18 percent when body worn cameras are around (Police body Cameras in large

police departments). The reason behind these rates were because officers felt more safe knowing

that the recordings will show how the event of the arrest happen. However, the down side of the

BWC is that police could have the option of turning on and off the camera whenever they want. Commented [WY4]: Well, that’s not good. In fact, it
defeats the purpose of officers wearing them!
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Even with the new legislation being passed there were some states that had second

thoughts on if they should allow their officers to use body worn cameras. According to the article

‘What happens when police turn off their cameras’; It states that “34 states have ‘considered’ the Commented [WY5]: Capitalize article titles; also, use
double quotation marks.
new legislation that would require their police to wear body cameras, when six states: Arizona,

Colorado, Florida, Maryland, North Dakota, and Utah have already implemented statewide

programs” (What happens when police). The following graph shows a diagram of pending states

with the Body camera legislation that still need to be passed (See fig 1).

Commented [WY6]: You have a great visual that supports

your points well here!

Fig 1. Markowitz, Eric. “When Police Turn off Their Body Cameras?” International Business

Times, 15. Aug.2015.

Even with these states still determining if the use of body worn cameras would be

effective they decided to get the inputs of both the officers and detainees who were arrested

while under the impression of these cameras. Many officers believe that these cameras will

improve citizens and officers behaviors (Officer Perceptions). This is because one; officers are Commented [WY7]: Change to a colon.

more liable for their actions when being recorded. Another reason is because then the
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prosecution would have the proper evidence when trying to prosecute the detainee. According to Commented [WY8]: Yes, I agree. These are good reasons
to support the use of body cameras.
a survey that was conducted in Australia; when asking detainees if they like the idea of BWC,

most of them had said yes. When asked why they said because BWC provided improved

evidence including the arrest (Police detainee Perspective). Commented [WY9]: Yes, I would agree with them. Good
work in providing the source for support here!
Even though there were a decent amount that had loved the idea of BWC, there were still

those who had their objections to the cameras. One major thing was how BWC doesn’t record on

a continuous loop, so officers would have to manually activate the feed (Body worn camera). Commented [WY10]: Yes, I can see how that would be
annoying.
Indeed this could be an issue because there could be cases in which the officer had decided not to

turn on their camera on or turn the camera off before their shift had ended. In those cases, the

accused officer that didn’t have their camera recording would be suspended for a certain amount

of time due to their lack of police neglect (What happens when police).

With these issues officers have to determine when the perfect time to record is. There are Commented [WY11]: Wouldn’t all the time be
appropriate?
federal laws that blocks the capturing of photo or any type of videos due to people's respect of

privacy. However, when using BWC departments has to take into consideration on if audio

recording should be allowed during video recording. And if so that would mean that the police

agencies would have to conduct further research prior to buy any of these devices (A primer on

body worn). The figure below shows the states that only allow either recording or audio

communications when using BWC.

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Fig 2. “A Primer on Privacy, Consent, and US Recording Laws.” Brick house Security, 20 July.

2016

Once the police agencies decide on what type or recording they think is best for their

departments then they go into the next step of considering the proper time to use it. When

departments does this it gives both the officers and citizens more protection when using body

worn cameras to make it safe. With the use of the video recording it gives the public the full

picture from beginning to end.

After the agencies decide when they feel their officers are comfortable enough for when

they consider the use then there were policies and procedures that needs to be put into

place. When considering what policies would work best, the policy would have to address when

the camera can be used, when it should be on and off to make sure everyone gets a fair treatment. Commented [WY12]: Good point on the fair treatment
clause!
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Also, there has to be a parameter that would have to have three different settings: Voluntary,

Compulsory, and prohibited. With these policies put into place citizens should feel protected and

safe when they have an encounter with a police officer wearing a body worn camera.

However, other issues that are brought to the government attention by citizens were what

was happening with the footage that was being recorded, the issue was that about half of the

footage would be deleted without being reviewed or looked over (Police mounted cameras).

However, each police department only delete the footage of things that could of been irrelevant

such as, when officers go on breaks, etc. Even some officers have also expressed their concerns Commented [WY13]: It is difficult to believe that officers
would do this. But then again, we have heard worse….
The officers who didn’t support the use of BWC felt that their supervisors didn’t trust them

enough to their jobs, when in fact, the departments and supervisors just wanted to make sure that

the job is being done correctly rather than being based of their personal opinions. Like the issues

listed, the government was prepared with the answers for those who didn’t support the use of

BWC’s

In 2013 alone, 75 percent of police departments reported they didn’t use body worn

cameras (National institute). However, after these departments realized how these cameras

actually benefited them they were actually like the use of them. When you look at the use of

BWC from the judicial system, they help a lot with cases. The American Prosecutors Research

institute conducted a survey asking prosecutors if they used video footage from BWC, and

majority of them answered that they have used video evidence in court.
When asked why they used this evidence, it was because it “enhances their ability to
Commented [WY14]: Yes, that is good. The cameras
should benefit everyone. I see that you have used your
source as a topic sentence here. Please avoid doing this.
Remember the quote sandwich!

obtain convictions and increase the number of guilty pleas rather than taking the case to trial” (A

primer on body worn cameras). With these cameras it also help cut down on the time spent in
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courts. About 58 percent off prosecutors also said they saw a decrease in time spent in court, and

about 41 percent of increase in case operation time(A primer on body worn cameras).

Although BWC has been the most recent use of law enforcement cameras, they aren’t

exactly the first. Often when officers are doing their usual patrol they spend most of their time in

the cars, which are also equipped with cameras. In 2007, there was a survey conducted that 19

percent of police agencies were using plate readers (70 percent of US police). Also, in 2012, 85

percent planned to acquire the use of it or planned on expanding the use of it (70 percent of U.S

police). With these percentages the use of plate scanners has been very efficient to the police

departments because it helps them scan as many plates as possible compared to having to put in

the plate manually. Commented [WY15]: This is great to know. Yes, one
should not discount these cameras!
With this upgrade of scanning plates, there were still some concern from the public.

Many people were worried about the policies that were in place when using these scanners. The

reasons of these concerns were because when scanners are getting information they can access

address, driving records and in certain cases social security numbers if the driver was just

recently arrested (A tool to fight crime). Yes, this can be a very scary thing to know but, these Commented [WY16]: True. An officer can uncover a lot
of information from this type of reading.
procedures are only in place to protect the citizens. The other reason why these plate scanners are

doing such detailed work is so officers can at least stay one step ahead of criminals.

According to ACLU, there were reports that had stated police departments were abusing

their use of technology by keeping data for extended periods of time (Police: License plate).

With this happening the ACLU had put stricter rules in places. Now departments are required not Commented [WY17]: This is a good point on the body
camera abuse. Again, please remember the quote sandwich,
and refrain from using quotes in your topic sentences.
to keep any of the data that was found unless they are being used as evidence in a case. Many

law enforcement officials say that using the readers makes it easier to find stolen cars or cars that
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were involved criminal activities, and they are not an invasion of privacy. Another reason why

these cameras are so effective is because they can get more done.

Even though deciding the type of license plates scanners to use wasn’t difficult, there are

different types of body worn cameras and departments has to determine which type of camera

works best for their department. The reason on why departments looks at different camera is so

they have the officers more equipped with the best camera that best serve the community.

As departments look at which cameras work best for their officers they have a list things

that they have to take into consideration when purchasing a BWC systems. Some things that

departments take into consideration is the battery life, video quality, the limits of recording,

camera replacements, etc. These things play a major part into the police use of body worn

cameras because they don't want to choose the wrong device when trying to best prepare their

officers for patrol and any other tasks that might be brought to their attention during their shifts.

In the figure below it shows the four types of cameras that are used. I found the figure on a site

where departments can purchase body worn cameras. Commented [WY18]: Good points here on the types of
body cameras that are used!
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Commented [WY19]: I like the product list here. It helps

to see what types of cameras are being used by officers. I
wonder if civilians use these cameras as well?

Fig. 3. Cai, Jasper. “www.Alibaba.com.” www.alibaba.com, 8 Jan. 2014

After departments determine which device works best for their officers the next step is

where the officers should place them on their body. The devices can be mounted on different

areas of the body such as helmets, badges, etc. When mounting the BWCs, officers have to

decide what part of the body will give the best point of view from any officer. Also it is based off

the securement of the cameras. The reason for this is because officers want to get the best view Commented [WY20]: Interesting where one can place
these cameras!
of things in case they are running to catch a suspect or get into a fight with that suspect. If the
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camera isn’t secure enough then there could be difficult looking at the picture because it is

shaky.

Even the use of these cameras has been beneficial to everyone around them. There were

still politicians and citizens who had many doubts. There was an experiment called the Rialto

experiment in which it showed that “ the likelihood that a police use force when officers do not

use BWCs was roughly twice that of when officers use BWC”(Police Body Cameras). However

there were at least a 35 percent drop on citizen complaints against the police use of force. This is

because police officers and most citizens are aware that there is a BWC presence. Commented [WY21]: Good point here! Yes, having and
wearing a BWC makes a difference in human behavior!
In Australia, they had asked detainees if the arresting officer was wearing a body worn

camera, only 12 percent had said that the officer was wearing one, however; only half of the

detainees did not know for sure, and a third of the detainees had said that the officers were not

wearing a camera. Many believe that the reason why half of the detainees didn’t see the cameras

were because they were too worried about the reason why they were getting arrested. Commented [WY22]: I can understand this, given the
circumstances involved.
In conclusion, Body worn cameras are there to protect and serve both the police and

citizens, and they aren’t there to invade the privacy of citizens but in fact to protect them from

any form of police brutality. BWCs has been beneficial to society so far and will continue to

advance the way law enforcements run their departments across the United states and the world

while they are protecting citizens from any form of danger.

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Works Cited

Jennings, WG, LA Fridell and MD lynch. “Cops and Cameras: Officer Perceptions of the use of

Body-Worn Cameras in Law Enforcement.” Journal of Criminal Justice, vol. 42, no.6 2014, pp.

549-556

Cai, Jasper. “www.Alibaba.com.” www.alibaba.com, 8 Jan. 2014 Commented [WY23]: Not in alphabetical order.

Markowitz, Eric. “What Happens When Police Turn off Their Body Cameras?” International

Business Times, 15. Aug.2015.

N.p “A Primer on Privacy, Consent, and US Recording Laws.” Brick house Security, 20 July. Commented [WY24]: ? the n.p. stands for “no publisher.”
You don’t need that listed.
2016

A Primer on Body-Worn Cameras for Law Enforcement. NLECTC, U.S Dept. of Justice, Office

of Justice Programs, National Institute of Justice, 2012.

Hsu, Jeremy “70 percent of U.S. Police Departments Use License Plate Readers.” IEEE Commented [WY25]: Not in alphabetical order.

Spectrum 8 Jul 2014

Stanley, Jay “Police Body-Mounted Cameras: With Right Policies in Place, a Win for all”

ACLU. Oct 2013

Elias, Dave “A Tool to Fight Crime or An invasion of Privacy.” NBC News. N.D Commented [WY26]: Not in alphabetical order.

Firelock, Keith “License Plate Readers for Law Enforcement: Opportunities and Obstacles.”
RAND Commented [WY27]: Missing hanging indents.
You make some great points here about the benefits of using the body cameras, both for police
officers and civilians. I especially like the visuals you use to support your points as well. Good
work on these! I like your counterargument as well on invasion of privacy issues, and the
comeback you give when you strengthen your argument in favor of these cameras. I made
comments on some of your points and particulars, so please read these and let me know if you
have any questions. I noted that you use your sources to begin some of your paragraphs, and I
commented on that. Also, your works cited page is missing a source, and the ones listed need to
be revised. Other than that, your essay looks great!
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95-100 Points 85-94 Points 75-84 Points 66-74 Points 0-65 Points
Excellent Good Satisfactory Minimal Poor/Unacceptable
English 1001 Final Research Argument Essay Rubric

Ideas___30__/30%

 Subject is appropriate: not “off-limits” or overly opinionated/emotional

 Thesis statement is well structured and presents a clear position
 Shows awareness of audience and potential counterarguments
 Readers find your argument persuasive

Details__22___ /25%

 “Shows” rather than “tells” –specific evidence from sources supports your points
 Relies on a fair number of solid claims/reasons on your side
 Counterarguments are raised and addressed effectively if applicable
 Argument is original but supported by research
 Sources are used right away in the introduction

Organization___15___ /15%

 Argument builds from clear thesis at the beginning to persuasive ending with sources evident
 Essay stays focused on thesis until the end
 Introduction gets reader’s attention and makes him/her want to keep reading
 Paragraphs are focused and unified, with clear transitions between criteria.
 Counterarguments are logically placed and addressed
 Conclusion ties up loose ends and closes effectively

Style___15__/15%

 Interesting and correct word choice

 Good sentence variety
 Punctuation, grammar, and spelling are correct
 Writing is clear and concise
 Tone of language is objective, appropriate, and respectful – convincing to readers

Format____12__ /15%

 Uses MLA style manuscript form.

 All quotes, stats, opinions of others and little-known facts are cited with correct parenthetical citations.
 Works cited page contains complete publication data, in MLA format.

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Final Research Essay Final Draft Total points: ____94___/100 94% A