Police body Cams don’t affect their behavior

Police body Cams don’t affect their behavior

After a series of high-profile police shootings of many officers across the country were obliged to use the cameras, hoping that the recording will be psychological barriers to abuse of power. But, as the experts found out that it is not.

It is in connection with a fatal shooting in 2014 in Ferguson, Massachusetts, when police officer Darren Wilson shot and killed unarmed black Michael brown, the question of the use of video cameras began to rise more often.

Many believe that law enforcement officials are required to wear these devices. According to them, the camera will be «culturehouse effect» as for the officers and civilians who encounter them.

New @seattlepd body cameras can attach by magnetic mount (right) or clip onto exterior bullet proof vests (left) pic.twitter.com/dxqdThJInn

— elisa hahn (@ElisaHahnK5) October 10, 2017

«The new camera can be attached with a magnet (right) or latch on the outside of the jackets (left)».

Despite the confidence in the effectiveness of such decision 18-month observation 2 thousand police officers in Washington has shown that officers equipped with cameras, behaved in the same way as those who did not have them. They applied exactly the same force, and the number of complaints by citizens was almost the same.

The head of the police Department of Washington Peter Newsham reported that the results really surprised. He was convinced that the cameras will affect the behavior of police officers.

But Newsham believes that the cameras were still useful: they help the police to conduct more accurate investigations and better train employees. Besides, he said, at least on one occasion, when an officer unjustly accused of opening fire against unarmed suspect who actually had a weapon. Newsham stressed that the chamber has strengthened the confidence of the public to law enforcement agencies.

By the way, the Federal government has provided police departments more than $ 40 million to buy cameras.

«The results cast doubt on the use of wearable cameras by police departments, especially given their high cost,» said Harlan Yu of the Upturn, a Washington non-profit consulting company that studies the impact of technology on the solution of social problems.

An @ECSONY1 deputy shows us how the body cameras work pic.twitter.com/D2dMiUs9uu

— WBEN NewsRadio 930AM (@NewsRadio930) October 11, 2017

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