Should all Police Officers Wear Cameras whilst on Duty?

We've all seen the numerous threads on ATS lately where Police Officers are abusing their power when dealing with the public.

I have said the following on a few threads, but believe it needs it's own thread.

Would making all Police Officers wear a camera whilst on duty reduce this behaviour? There are a lot of good police officers who are being tarnished by the actions of their fellow officers.

In the UK, some police forces are already trialling the scheme.

Armed police to wear video cameras

Firearms officers are to wear video cameras in an attempt to be "more open" following the death of Mark Duggan, the Met Police Commissioner has said.

Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe admitted the force must "do more to build trust" after an inquest jury found the 29-year-old was lawfully killed.

m.bbc.co.uk...

Surely this kind off scheme is a win win for both the public and police officers.

On one hand the public would feel safe when dealing with the police. Secondly law abiding police officers would be protected against frivolous accusations.

Personally, I think this should be rolled out to all police officers, no arrest or court action can be taken if footage from the camera was not available. This would stop police brutality over night as all officers would wear a cam and very unlikely all officers cameras would not have recorded an arrest. Better still all cam footage is live streamed to a database held by a public body meaning police officers would not be able to cover up any abuse of power.

reply to post by flammadraco


I feel whole heartedly that they should, and perhaps our Congress too.

Police officers have proven time and again that they will use anything to aid in an abuse of power. You think a camera will protect you? I have seen footage from the dashcam of a police car,of a cop out of line. I don't believe it would be used in any fashion to protect citizens from police brutality,but will definitely be used as a means of spying on an unsuspecting public. There is enough cameras invading our lives without adding more.

reply to post by flammadraco


Itll become networked as a public surveillance tool.

I have mixed opinions. But knowing that computational analysis of thosuands of video streams is not only possible, but 100% probable.

Reply to AccessDenied & BigFurryTexan

The UK is being watched by a network of 1.85m CCTV cameras, that's 1 camera for every 32 people. London is second most surveyed city in the world, Chicago is the most surveyed city in the world.

With this in mind the folk in the UK are already used to Big Brother seeing everything. However if all Police Officers were to wear a cam, then they would always have to behave in a manner acceptable off an officer.

We have seen news articles and coverage whereby a member of the public has been accused of something and later released when someone comes forward with a video. It's obviously not beyond some LEO to trump up charges, the recruitment of these kinds of officers will never change and LEOs will always have each others backs. Having an officer wearing a cam whilst on duty will have more positives than negatives, it will end one persons word against another as the whole arrest was filmed.

If having a better behaving police force means I'm being surveyed that little bit more then so be it.

reply to post by flammadraco


I have been thinking about this extensively. Our privacy is actually gone already and has been gone for a pretty long time.

It is simply impossible to stop the ubiquitous authoritarian (and private) surveillance, we simply drive it further into the black.

Of the few potential responses that exist, counter surveillance is the only viable option if it be, at least, truth and accountability that we intend to preserve.

reply to post by flammadraco


Only problem i can see is if your a member of the lodge. Won't be able to give the officer a wink and funny handshake to make minor mis-demeanor's magically vanish.

reply to post by greencmp


Totally agree with your comments. As soon as we can all afford Google Glass or something similar the better.

I think the ACLU released an APP in 2012 that allowed users to covertly record police interaction without the police officer knowing. Shame this is not better publicised.

reply to post by flammadraco


looks like someone beat you to this two days ago....

www.abovetopsecret.com...

reply to post by UxoriousMagnus


Damn! and the number of times I've said this lately as well, should have started the thread sooner.

In my defence, when searching I was unlikely to match keywords when the other thread was titled "enough is enough"

I think with our free will, we should stamp this thread with tons of flags and stars, and let them know the majority want this done.

reply to post by flammadraco


It really doesn't matter....case in point, they have video of officers beating Kelley Thomas TO DEATH, and not one of those officers is going to jail.

Whenever police want to do something shady they just disable the camera....or erase the dash cam. I can't tell you how many stories like this I've seen. You just can't win with the Police. They are so far out of control it is truely frightening. Not sure what the answer is, but cameras aren't gonna do it.

reply to post by deadcalm


And that's why you and your fellow Americans should be protesting against police brutality.

Your prison system is run by corporations that set quotas that have to be met. US judges are shareholders of these corporations. Your police force are given quotas that have to be met. I cannot understand for the life of me why the Americans are not out on the street.

Having the video footage from these cams streamed live to a Public body database will alleviate the issue if LEOs tampering with evidence.

Maybe we should ALL be forced to wear cameras. Then everyone would be 100% accountable for their actions.
Why stop with police?

reply to post by Jefferton


No need, see my thread on the new drones scheduled to patrol the UK. We will all be under 24/7 video surveillance in the very near future due to the Argus camera.

Jefferton
Maybe we should ALL be forced to wear cameras. Then everyone would be 100% accountable for their actions.
Why stop with police?

I don't think anyone will be forced to wear a camera, and within a few years if Google Glass takes off and others follow, we'll all be wearing cams anyway.

Surely you must agree that some LEOs in the US have acted in a despicable way. Perhaps if they had been wearing a cam, they would have thought twice.

Surely this kind off scheme is a win win for both the public and police officers.

No, not really, not in the long-term, big picture of things.

On one hand the public would feel safe when dealing with the police. Secondly law abiding police officers would be protected against frivolous accusations.

Turn the tables, and put this line of thinking in with those in power.
"The government would feel safe when dealing with the public."

Let's just ALL get chipped and tracked. Then nobody will have anything to worry about.
Then none of us will be entitled to any privacy or false accusations. You do realize the odds will not be in you favor.

reply to post by unb3k44n7


I don't understand your line of thought.

How is a LEO wearing a cam whilst on duty going to lead to everyone being chipped?

We already have a Big Brother state both in the US and UK. What's so wrong with cops being watched whilst on duty? They are public servants paid via the public taxes and as such we have the right to know if LEOs are acting in the publics interest.

unb3k44n7
Let's just ALL get chipped and tracked. Then nobody will have anything to worry about.

I guess that's their end game and could be a reality sooner than people think. Not me tho, will literally have to sedate me and restrain me before they insert any kind of device into my body and we should all resist any effort should they attempt to force us into any scheme.

Haven't visited ATS in a long time but it's refreshing to see the foresight and conscientious thinking of the posters on here. Generally in day to day life there's a real lack of any real discussion beyond pointless conversations about work, entertainment and sports. Having an interest in current affairs is almost taboo and met with ridicule these days by the majority which is a real concern for the future.

reply to post by Grenade


So your ok with cops abusing citizens and not being held accountable for their actions?

Not sure what's going on with some of the members on this thread, how can you say that LEOs wearing a cam will end in everyone having a chip.

Mind you and without bashing my American cousins, but you have allowed your country to be hijacked by corporations, you've allowed your banking system to run the federal reserve, you allowed the Patriot Act and your allowing cops to kill and abuse innocent civilians so I can see the US being one if the first countries to be chipped.

In other countries they are having their "Spring Revolutions" against government corruption. The US one is way overdue.