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Jeremiah Stanley
Professor Tuggle
Comm 3
17 December, 2014
Cops and Cameras
The United States Constitution devoted 3 entire Articles towards a system of checks and
balances to ensure that the rights and security of the people are protected. Currently there is no
such system in place to protect the rights and security of citizens when it comes to Peace
Officers. There are issues in leaving Peace Officers and Criminals unchecked in today's world of
technology. Public unrest has been created by inadequacies in the current status quo, the most
prominent being this lack of surveillance. There is no doubt in my mind that Peace Officers
should, by mandate of federal law, wear body mounted cameras. What exactly this entails will
be more thoroughly discussed later within this paper I'll define exactly what this means later in
the paper. This issue of police corruption and criminal misleading has been on going for many
years, but has only lately been noticed because of modern technology. Social media and
sensationalist news coverage has brought events such as Ferguson into the forefront of the
average citizen's mind. This problem is inherent in today's society so it must be taken care of if
we as a nation wish to move forward as one. More people are harmed everyday because there is
not a current watchful eye to aid those in need. There are many advantages to the use of Peace
Officer body mounted cameras. This would make it unwise to not fix an issue this dire when the
capability of solving it is set out before us just to take. Our country finds itself at a turning point
in it's ability to protect our Peace Officers and our citizens. To not take action and push body
mounted cameras would not only be detrimental for both parties, it would be irrational. If our
Federal Government has a system of checks and balances that has been in place since 1788 to

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prevent corruption and abuse in power, why then doesn't our current Law Enforcement model,
which has existed since 1626, include this?
I am defining Peace officers as any form of law enforcement that is backed in some way
by the United States of America, or any one of it's fifty States, in order to keep the peace. This
definition allows me to speak in regards to not only Sheriff's but also City, County, and State
Police Officers. This is important because my plan will not be able to reach the most desirable
level of effectiveness unless it deals with all Police that serve in the public eye. Next I am
defining Body Mounted Cameras as a video recording device that will be strapped to the
shoulder, chest, or other forward facing part of an officers body to provide a recorded video in
the direction the officer is facing. It is important to see the scenarios a Peace Officer is in from
their visual perspective as this would allow evidence to be reviewed and officer's statements to
be proven in a way that would be deemed acceptable by the United States Judiciary System. This
should be a Policy matter because my resolution uses the word should and should means that a
change needs to take place. If I show my argument will be the most net beneficial than it should
be considered and used.
Some background information on Peace Officers, Policing in America started back in
1626 with the creation of the New York Sheriff's Office. Since then, police have never had a
constant 3rd party watching everything they do. American Policing is based off of the French
Napoleonic Code. This aforementioned code is the foundation for what gives us the right to a
speedy trial, the need for evidence to convict, and what prohibits judges from making judgments
based off of opinion or feeling instead of evidence supplied in court. I feel that the best way to
honor the code we have based our policing on for nearly 400 years, we should give police
officers the means to always watch what they do. This will in turn help officers against, and
towards the capture of, criminals. This will also serve as a method to protect civilians against

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corrupt law enforcement officials.
As I addressed before, My issue is very topical in light of the Ferguson riots which are
only taking place because of insufficient evidence in a court case where the major basis was the
testimony of the only surviving party involved in the altercation. The camera would have shown
what that the officers did, regardless of whether or not it was the right thing or the wrong thing.
Leaving things like they are leads to many other issues and so there needs to be a change. The
accountability of Police Officers and criminals is the first issue. This stems from the lack of are
3rd party keeping an eye on the officers and people that those officers interact with. This makes it
common practice to go off of the word of the officer or word of the criminal. The problem with
going off of someone's word is that human beings have the inherent capacity to lie. There can be
criminals who lie about an officer assaulting them or lie about what they were doing that night.
When these people lie it can make it harder for officers to do their job and for a judge/jury to
reach an appropriate verdict. This kind of situation cause clogs in cases. Clogs that can make
cases run far longer than they could have with video evidence. Clogged cases not only interfere
with the time an officer could be out protecting citizens, they also take the time away from every
party involved in the case. There can also be officers that lie about people. This can also create
distrust in the public which can be very dangerous for Police later on. Again, one needs only to
look at Ferguson to see what even a hint of deception in a Peace Officer's testimony in court can
cause. According to a study published in a Basic and Applied Psychology Journal, people on
average lie about three times in a ten minute conversation. Police officers on average don't have
photographic memories. With these two statistics being made apparent, the amount of
information that can be missed while on a traffic stop or at the scene of a crime can make or
break a criminal investigation. Due to a lack of photographic memory, An officer will also forget
or distort faces of people who may get away which can put further strain on criminal

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investigations that could have been avoided. Criminals who get away can continue to commit
crimes which will continue to endanger the public. If the public feels at risk then they may start
buying more guns to protect themselves. This could lead to people trying to take the
responsibility of law enforcement upon themselves which could prove fatal to many.
I plan on stopping and fixing these issues with one decisive action that could address and
potentially put an end to all of the detrimental effects currently plaguing our current system. By
having the United States Federal Government create a law making it mandatory for all Peace
Officers in the field to wear body mounted cameras. The reason for making only on duty officers
who are patrolling and out of the office wear them is to ensure the most cost effective solution is
enacted to help save money and produce tangible benefits. By following this solution, It will
make it so officers who are sitting at a desk for 40 hours a week don't waste cameras or data
storage space. The ones who interact with the public are the most important to watch. So the
United States Federal Government will enact this plan while the Government has inspectors
enforce it. The law will take effect in 1 year giving departments time to adjust into it. Body
cameras cost about $800- $1200 for each device. The bulk of the cost will be in data storage to
ensure that the entirety of an officer's shift is recorded and archived. The New Orleans Police
department spent $1.2 million on 350 cameras and data storage for 5 years. Of course there will
also be trainers who will make sure all the officers know how the cameras function. The funding
(for this policy) will come from taxes that usual go towards defense. Considering the current
expenditures used in defense and the relatively mild cost of this policy, it will not be enough to
hurt it's normal spending. Having these body mounted cameras will solve the issues of not
having any way to keep Peace Officers in check. By fixing these harms we are also able to gain
many advantages.
The advantages start in accountability and transparency with officers and civilians. When

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civilians are able to access officer video records then they are happier. Officers act more
professionally when they are being watched. The Department is also able to evaluate each officer
to improve their over all performance. This improved accountability leads into reducing
complaints and officer involved incidents. In Rialto, California a study took place over 1 year
containing 988 officer shifts. The conclusions of the study stated that officers with cameras were
60 percent less likely to use force in incidents. This saves money that would otherwise be used
on court cases dealing with abuse of power or excessive force. This money will then be able to
go back into the department to train officers better and help them improve the Departments
policing over all. These same officers were also in half as many use of force incidents as officers
without cameras. The camera kept people from doing anything to force the officer to use force.
This makes policing safer for both officers and the criminals that are brought in. Less injuries
occur which give the police a safer working environment. This safer environment can improve
police moral. With the moral of officers at an all time high we, as civilians, can interact with
happy workers who are always more enjoyable to be around. Are community will be brought
closer together and the over all benefit of peoples lives will increase. Complaints show each
Department how much the citizens feel the officers are doing their job correct. The camera
officers had a massive 88 percent reduction in the number of citizen complaints between the
previous year and the year the cameras were used. This shows that the cameras made the
citizens, interacting with officer, feel like more of their needs were met. This leads to the public
feeling safer and the main job of a police officer is the safety of the public. This means officers
are heading towards their ultimate goal of complete crime prevention.
These devices have also proven that there is a change in the psychology of everyone
involved in a confrontation when there is prior knowledge of video surveillance. The effect that
third party viewing has on the actions of human beings has been recorded by psychologists. Even

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a poster with eyes on it has been shown to reduce theft and improve behavior in test subjects.
Due to the increasingly cooperative behaviors of all parties involved when a third party observer
is put in place, the beneficial psychological effects that come into play when a person is observed
via a body mounted camera are incredible. Another study was done by Mesa (Arizona) Police
Department. They found that officers without cameras had 3 times more complaints than the
same officers with cameras. Both stats were taken over an 8 month period. This once again
proves that officers with cameras gain more respect from the public. The officer also treats
members of the public better. During their pilot program the total complaints reduced by 40
percent. This will increase a positive view of police. The positive view of police will make
interacting with civilians more pleasurable and make the officers feel more as part of the
community rather than angry teachers who have to put kids on time out. One of the biggest
things for any community is how much and how often the police use force against people who
are arrested or detained. In Arizona the use of force complaints for camera wearing officers was
reduced by 75 percent against the non camera wearing officers. Cameras don't just give little
changes to officer-citizen interaction. The changes are always large which give ultimate proof of
its effectiveness.
Transparency gives police forces the ability to identify and correct problems occurring
internally in the agency. First off body worn cameras create a perfect training tool in showing
new officers what should and should not be done in certain situations. This will improve future
officers by letting them build off of the mistakes and triumphs of their peers. Policing can only
get better when you can teach people with up to date videos of problems that they will face in the
field. There is also the issue of abuse of authority. When complaints come in that claim a certain
officer was abusing his authority, then that date can be checked and the officers previous
interactions can be viewed to see if he has any other offenses. This makes it easier for the

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department to keep the officers accountability for all of their actions. This accountability can lead
to responsible, honest, and hard working police. This is exactly what the public looks for in the
leaders of their community. Law enforcement having so much power puts them into a position to
be seen like that. In Daytona Beach, the Chief had a policy that officers with histories of
complaints would be the first in the department to use body cameras. They were also told that if
they turned off the cameras then they would be fired. This is a way to prevent officers from
tampering with the cameras while on duty. One officer chose to turn off his camera multiple
times while stating the camera was malfunctioning. Upon a forensic review it was shown that the
officer was purposely pressing the shut off button. He resigned the next day. This means that
officers will not abuse the camera use because they will be monitored. Agencies that have
succumb to external investigations, such as Detroit and New Orleans, have chosen to obtain body
mounted cameras for their officers. This is to show that policies are being improved good
practices are being maintained in the agency. These good practices and polices continue to help
with public trust and improving criminal prevention. Public trust and criminal prevention keeps
streets safer and people happier. This safety and happiness can improve tourism which can help
the city make a lot of outside money. This will improve the economy of the city and then the city
will be able to to build better parks. It's proven that children learn better when they have time in
the day to play. These extra and nicer playgrounds will improve child learning which will
improve the future of the city. Transparency and accountability are results of the cameras, but
they aren't the only effects.
Body mounted cameras also create a way for officers to document evidence. Evidence is
significantly improved when a camera records it for an investigation or a court preceding. It can
be difficult to remember or jot down everything that is said at an accident or crime scene. There
can always be issues if someone is injured because most of the focus is on saving their life. The

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camera will be able to make a recording of all the interviews the officer does. It won't only
record what was said, but how as well. The witnesses face and body motions can show the
intensity of what happened and that same intensity can be preserved for the jury to experience
first hand. The accuracy of the witnesses can stay the same throughout the investigation. The
accuracy of all evidence in general will be greatly increased. The saying a picture is worth a
thousand words is accurate, and so a video should be worth a hundred thousand. Daytona Beach
officers have found a way to help domestic violence victims with the use of body cameras. With
a lot of domestic violence cases the victim will choose to not press charges against the abuser
because they feel attachment to that person. This makes it difficult for officers to prosecute the
abuser and it lets them get away with the abuse. With the addition of cameras and the approval of
the victim, officers can now get a video statement from the victim which shows first hand their
injuries, demeanor, and immediate reactions. This means that officers can gain enough evidence
to prosecute even if the victim is unwilling to press charges. This gives officers a major
advantage against domestic violence which they have never had before. This is all do to the
evidence that can be gained from a body worn camera. Its impeccable memory is one of the
greatest technological advances towards policing in this day and age.
I've given all of this crucial information to attempt to convey one essential and substantial
point. Body mounted cameras must be put into law enforcement. A nation founded on checks and
balances should continue to follow its foundation. I've shown that adding these cameras will be
more net beneficial than not and so my policy should stand. Peace Officers should wear body
mounted cameras while on duty and in the field. Basing our laws off a system of justice gives us
all the more reason to make encounters with officers as effective and safe as possible for both the
civilian and the officer. This issue needs to be resolved as soon as possible due to the drastically
escalating level at which it is currently affecting the every day lives of United States Citizens.

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There is nothing more important when it comes to the efficiency and effectiveness of our nation's
law enforcement than fixing the issue at hand. When the plan is followed then the advantages
will follow. Officers accountability will be created to deter the actions of corrupt Peace Officers
and to increase the effectiveness honest Peace Officers. The transparency will kill corruption on
the level of policing done in direct contact with the public, allow honest hard working officers to
better serve the people of the United States, and assist officers in making sure that criminals get
what they justly deserve. Not only will the officers improve but so will the quality and usability
evidence that will be used in court. This evidence will be accurate and quickly obtained and
shown. This leaves no reason to not move forward in creating better policing for a better future.
This nation is in the eye of the storm. If recent events have shown anything, it is that our policing
system is no longer the most effective and is in desperate need of reform. To ensure the safety of
the average citizen and to maximize the efficiency of our Peace Officers, this change must
happen immediately.
Works Cited
1.

Lloyd, Robin. "Why We Lie." Livescience. N.p., 15 May 2006. Web. 14 Dec. 2014.

2.

Johnson, Kevin. "Police Body Cameras Offer Benefits, Require Training." USA Today.

USA Today, 12 Sept. 2014. Web. 15 Dec. 2014.

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Stross, Randall. "Wearing a Badge, and a Video Camera." The New York Times. The New

York Times, 06 Apr. 2013. Web. 14 Dec. 2014.

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Anonymous. Body-Worn Camera Program (n.d.): n. pag. Justice. US Department of

Justice, 2014. Web. 15 Dec. 2014.

5.

Levs, Josh, Eve Bower, Amy Drake, Mayra Cuevas, and Amy Roberts. "One Challenge

for Ferguson Grand Jury: Some Witnesses' Credibility." CNN. Cable News Network, 14 Dec.
2014. Web. 14 Dec. 2014.

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6.

Anonymous. "Issues - Checks and Balances." National Constitution Center

Constitutioncenter.org. National Constitution Center, 2014. Web. 13 Dec. 2014.

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Murray, Robert, MD, and Catherine Ramstetter, PhD. "The Crucial Role of Recess in

School." The Crucial Role of Recess in School. Official Journal of the American Academy of
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Plummer, Brad. "Americas Staggering Defense Budget, in Charts." Washington Post.

The Washington Post, 7 Jan. 2013. Web. 14 Dec. 2014.

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Shultz, David P. "2010 Annual Report." PoliceMisconductnet. Cato Institute, 23 Apr.

2011. Web. 13 Dec. 2014.

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Ntroduction. Statement on Third Party Observers in Psychological Testing and

Assessment: A Framework for Decision Making (n.d.): n. pag. Www.apa.org. Committee on

Psychological Tests and Assessment American Psychological Associatio, 2007. Web. 17 Dec.
2014.
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Mims, Christopher. "What Happens When Police Officers Wear Body Cameras." WSJ.

The Wall Street Journal, 18 Aug. 2014. Web. 15 Dec. 2014.

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Srymopoulos, Jay. "Police Use Of Force Drops 60% When Officers Required To Wear

Video Cameras." Ben Swann Truth In Media. Ben Swann, 10 Mar. 2014. Web. 17 Dec. 2014.