Company NameBusiness Plan

Body Cameras

By:

Danielle Harrison& Andrew Thompson

Facts

• In Texas, body cameras are helping stop domestic violence.

Often domestic violence reports are recanted after things have

settled down. In Bell County, Texas, when officers were

equipped with body cameras, these recantations have gone

down dramatically. People now plead guilty in cases because

the evidence has been captured.

• In New Carrollton, Maryland, police officers have noted that

people behave better when they know they are being videoed.

Police officers say that they do not get as many combative

people.

• In Rialto, California, the introduction of body cameras in 2012

has lead to an 88% reduction in complaints against the police

force and a 60% decrease in the officer’s use of force.

What are Body Cameras?

• Body cameras are visual and/or audio recording devices that allow objective evidence to be used in a case, if necessary.

• Not used as only resource, used as last resource if possible

• Can be worn on uniform, as a headpiece, etc.On pocket (uniform)

Mounted on top of shoulder

As a headset

Body Cameras Doing Justice

• In the event the person encountering the police officer is intoxicated or otherwise influenced by drugs, thus cannot recall or properly respond to the officer, body cameras allow the person a chance to testify with objective evidence demonstrating what he/she did while under the influence.

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p82g5pHeAIE

• 3:30-4:07

• Continue-4:45 (resisting arrest)

• 7:10-8:00

Cameras are Everywhere!

• People believe body cameras on officers would be violating their rights, watching them, and feel highly uncomfortable with the idea, when in reality…

CAMERAS ARE EVERYWHERE!

On most street corners, poles, inside convenience stores, banks, parking lots, almost everywhere there are cameras that watch what people are doing as they are doing them.

A police officer with a body camera is no different if he/she is strolling around the park with a camera.

Pro Body Cameras

• Helps clarifies police officer’s perspective and justification for actions based on their POV as opposed to others (i.e. other person reaching for a gun or phone)

• Minimize complaints; protects any false accusations or abuse against person or officer

• May reduce confrontational situations if it is known publicly that body cameras are in use (have people and officers think twice)

• If citizen has nothing to hide, then why does it hurt to have their real-time actions recorded? Only criminals worry about being seen or not

• Is it more important to worry about the privacy of the criminal or the safety and better good of the community?

Counter Arguments

• Those accused feel as though it was not fair to them that they were being recorded without knowledge, and if they had knowledge they would not have committed the action.

So, we are protecting criminals from incriminating themselves?

• Cameras would change the actions of people who commit crimes

…is this a bad thing?

• What if police officers have to use the bathroom?

A camera that can turn off video but leave audio on, or even turn audio off and still display real time running, seeing the “turn-off” portion to be roughly a few minutes

Counter Arguments

• What if the action is so fast, would the camera be able to capture clear video?

Having a camera in this situation is clearly better than having no camera at all. Even if the object is blurred or unclear, context clues can help determine what is going on in the video. There ARE cameras that can capture objects moving at a very fast rate. For example, the cameras that capture people moving very fast on roller coasters at amusement parks capture in high quality high definition as people are moving very quickly. This could be a high priority when financially viable.

Counter Arguments

• Officers might feel less able to use force with a camera recording

Not justified = Not use those actions. More to do with the officer

him/herself. If he/she feels they are being held back by the camera,

they should reconsider if their actions are justified, and if they are,

they should have no reason to feel threatened. Use conversation to

resolve, and resort to physical contact if absolutely necessary

(more to do with police training). If they usually use force, then

they worry because now they cannot get away with it?

• People might be less likely to step forward as witness due to fear of public exposure

How different is this from being a witness and calling in as anonymous

Counter Arguments

• What happens if the officer “accidently” or on purpose turns off their camera, or it falls off?

Those arguing for officers NOT to have body cameras are concerned about the time the camera is turned OFF…or not there?

• Financial and storage concerns

Slowly implement the use of body cameras, see what results show, and if proven beneficial, increase the use of body cameras. The goal is to ensure safety and security of citizens, more than spending a few million dollars that would be spent trying to prove several cases anyway.

From YouGov; April 2015

How can we improve for the future?• Body cameras will bring problems; to think otherwise is

foolish. We aren’t looking for a perfect, flawless system.

• However, body cameras and the problems they will bring are still better than the current situation that we are in now.

• We should not protect criminals from incriminating themselves. If they are breaking the law, and technology has advanced to the point where finding/apprehending the lawbreakers is now more feasible, we are failing our citizens by not using the technology.

References

• http://www.policemisconduct.net/explainers/police-body-cameras/

• https://www.einvestigator.com/police-body-cameras-the-pros-and-cons-for-law-enforcement-and-citizens/

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p82g5pHeAIE

• https://www.policeone.com/police-products/body-cameras/articles/7522310-5-ways-body-worn-cameras-have-helped-police-officers/