Tech in Law Enforcement: Enhancing Efficiency and Strengthening Relationships

The 21st century is largely known as the digital generation. It has been characterized by monumental technological advancements that have drastically transformed different industries around the world. In this spirit, law enforcement agencies around the world are increasingly incorporating technology in their operations to enhance efficiency and address specific challenges facing them. In the United States, a strained relationship between the police and the public is one of the major problems that law enforcement agencies have to deal with. Often, the tensions between the two parties lead to horrifying events. For instance, in 2016, eight police officers were assassinated, and several unarmed civilians killed by police within a span of a few weeks CITATION Tin16 \l 1033 (Rosenberg, 2016). In light of such events, there is an urgent need to address the issue. As would be expected, law enforcement agencies are trying to use various technologies and strategies to remedy the situation. Body cameras are among the prominent technologies that law enforcement agencies across the country have adopted. Body cameras also referred to as body-worn video (BWV) or wearable camera, are wearable video, audio, or photographic recording systems used by law enforcement officers to record the interactions with the members of the public. They are also used in the gathering of evidence at crime scenes. Normally, they are mounted on the shirts, helmets, or sunglasses of the law enforcement officers. The technology has significantly reshaped perceptions of policing. It has also helped enhance trust and transparency among the officers. However, regardless of the positive changes that the technology has brought in law enforcement, there have been concerns regarding the privacy of citizens captured in the footage, as well as the people who are supposed to access the recordings. In this light, this paper seeks to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of body cameras for law enforcement.

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Reasons for the Use of Body Cameras

There are several reasons why law enforcement agencies are increasingly adopting body cameras. First, the devices are aimed at boosting the confidence of the public in both the local and national policing. As it is written in Ecclesiastes 4: 9-12, two are better than one. Therefore, when the police and citizens trust each other and work together, other security goals in society can easily be attained. The cameras are also useful in protecting the general public since they help curb unprofessional behavior among law enforcement officers. When the officers indulge in such actions, the footage serves as critical evidence during prosecution. They can also be deployed in areas that are not covered by the existing forms of CCTV, hence boosting security. Besides, the camera help protect the law enforcement officers by reducing anti-social behavior among the citizens, as well as the number of assaults on the officers CITATION Bra17 \l 1033 (Braga, Coldren, Sousa, Roudriguez, & Alper, 2017). Overall, body cameras are meant to cut costs and enhance the efficiency of law enforcement agencies and the criminal justice system at large. The evidence captured by the cameras increases the chances of early guilty pleas, hence reducing the costs of criminal justice. The devices also reduce the amount of time that law enforcement officers spend on paperwork, thus freeing them up for more other tasks. A review of the incidents captured in the cameras can also be used in skill enhancement.

History of Body Cameras in Law Enforcement

Though body cameras have been used from as far as 2005 in some parts of the world such as the United Kingdom, the technology took off in the U.S. in 2014, when Michael Brwon was fatally shot in Ferguson CITATION Ben19 \l 1033 (Miller, 2019). His family claimed that all law enforcement officers in the country should wear body cameras, sparking a national conversation that forced law enforcement agencies to start buying body cameras. The protests that followed the killing of Brown also helped push the issue. Later in 2016, the Obama administration offered grants to law enforcement agencies to procure and pay for the devices CITATION Ben19 \l 1033 (Miller, 2019).

Ever since the use of body cameras has been on the rise across the country. Both large and small police departments have rolled out expensive body camera programs. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, approximately 47% of law enforcement agencies in the country had acquired body cameras by 2016 CITATION Hyl18 \l 1033 (Hyland, 2018). By 2018, body cameras had become a fact of life for law enforcement agencies in the country. Also, almost 20 states have enacted laws to regulate the use of the devices. The laws are mostly aimed at protecting the privacy of citizens captured in the footages.

Advantages of Body Cameras for Law Enforcement

Several benefits have been realized in the time that body cameras have been used in different police departments across the country.

Enhanced Accountability

Police brutality and use of excessive force have been a problem for the country's law enforcement agencies for years. Though it is illegal, the practice has persisted, leading to loss of trust in law enforcement officers. Particularly, the issue of civilians being fatally shot by law enforcement officers has attracted a lot of interest in the recent past. In 2016, for instance, an estimated 1,000 people were shot fatally by law enforcement officers CITATION McD17 \l 1033 (McDonald & Bachelder, 2017). Unfortunately, in the past, there was no reliable way of holding the officers accountable. The prosecution of officers was also rare. However, the situation is drastically changing as the use of body cameras increase.

The cameras capture the officers hence making prosecution more successful. For example, a law enforcement officer in Cincinnati was captured by his body camera, killing Samuel DuBose CITATION McD17 \l 1033 (McDonald & Bachelder, 2017). The evidence was critical in the trial, and he was ultimately charged with manslaughter and murder. In an almost similar incident, law enforcement officers in Milwaukee were captured tasing Sterling Brown. After the incident's footage was reviewed, the officers were held responsible and suspended CITATION Bry181 \l 1033 (Peterson, 2018). This way, the body cameras help enhance accountability and transparency within the law enforcement agencies. Also, they help tame the behavior of law enforcement officers, leading to better police-citizen relationships. As it is written in Romans 14:12, everyone is accountable for their actions. It is believed that body cameras reduce the use of force by officers by up to 50% CITATION Ric191 \l 1033 (Smith, 2019). Studies carried out in the United Kingdom revealed that the use of body cameras led to improved interactions between the police and citizens. The people were also reported to feel safer, and citizen complaints declinedCITATION Bre181 \l 1033 (Chapman, 2018).

Protection of Law Enforcement Officers

The body cameras have also helped enhance the security and protection of law enforcement officers. In general, body cameras helps increase the civility of the citizens. For instance, the rates of compliance with the commands given are higher when the citizens know that the encounter is being recorded. The civility helps prevent escalation of situations to levels that would require the use of excessive force. This factor also helps improve the police-citizen relationship. For instance, a study carried out by the National Institute of Justice in 2017 established officers with body cameras had fewer complaints from citizens and use-of-force reports as compared to those without the devices CITATION Bre181 \l 1033 (Chapman, 2018).

Other than assault by the members of the public, police officers have also traditionally suffered false accusations that could not be conclusively confirmed or rejected. The body cameras have helped solve these challenges. In 2018, a Texas state trooper was accused by Sherita Dixon-Cole of sexually assaulting her during an arrest CITATION Bry181 \l 1033 (Peterson, 2018). However, the events captured in the footage contradicted her claims. It has also been shown that body cameras lead to a reduction of complaints against the police by as much as 90% (Smith, 2019). This is one of the many ways in which the body cameras protect law enforcement officers.

Quicker Resolution of Complaints

Complaints and lawsuits on the alleged use of excessive force by officers, as well as other forms of misconduct are common in the country. Body cameras help resolve them faster. Without video footage to corroborate witness evidence, investigations are usually adversely affected by inconsistent accounts of events from the citizens and officers. Such cases are justifiably dropped, leading to a further decrease in the confidence and trust of the public in the country's law enforcement agencies. Such occurrences have led to the reinforcement of the perception that claims of abuse against officers of the law are improperly addressed. However, with the use of body cameras, the facts of the encounters can be corroborated, leading to a faster resolution. The footage can also be used as evidence to make arrests and prosecutions. In turn, the number of guilty pleas increases, leading to more trust in law enforcement agencies. Also, studies have revealed that such measures lead to a reduction in the rate of crimeCITATION Bre181 \l 1033 (Chapman, 2018).

Training Opportunities

Body cameras also offer a training opportunity. The law enforcement administrators and trainers can use the events captured on the cameras to assess the activities and behavior that the officers engage in. The footage can then be used to advance professionalism within the agencies CITATION Bre181 \l 1033 (Chapman, 2018). Similarly, when new strategies are implemented, the administrators can use the video footage to assess its effectiveness, as well as the compliance of the officers.

Reduction in Investigative and Administrative Costs

According to studies, body cameras reduce complaint investigation time by more than 30% CITATION Ric191 \l 1033 (Smith, 2019). Investigators can simply watch incidents or interviews on the video footage instead of spending more time conducting interviews manually or sending out people to take depositions. This shift helps save on investigative costs. Besides, when there is video evidence, offenders are more compelled to enter guilty pleas instead of taking the court system route. Such moves help save on administrative costs. Body cameras also help reduce the amount of time that officers spend going through paperwork. This way, they are freed up to engage in other activities, hence ensuring efficient use of human resources.

Disadvantages of Body Cameras for Law Enforcement

Though studies have shown the huge potential of body cameras in repairing the strained relationship between the police and citizens, opponents of the technology argue that body cameras do not cause any positive change within the law enforcement agencies. They cite the disadvantages discussed below in their argument.

Reduction in the Safety of Police Officers

It has been argued that some people respond violently when being filmed by law enforcement officers. Those under the influence of substances, as well as people suffering from mental illnesses, are more likely to respond negatively. Some studies have revealed that the number of assaults on police officers is higher in instances where body cameras are used (Ariel et al., 2016). As such, the security of the police officers is jeopardized by the devices. Also, body cameras a...