Body cameras need to be more than a buzzword thats gleefully inserted into police department press releases and then passed around for media to regurgitate. While body cameras should be encouraged, as they could absolutely clarify what happens during an altercation, the footage they produce has to be respected by the judicial system. Body cameras are part of an answer to stopping unnecessary deaths at the hands of police, but they are not the only answer. (For example, police departments looking to reduce their use-of-force incidents might look to Richmond, California, which has made headlines in the last year for not having killed a citizen of the largely violent city since 2008. The chief of police there was quoted as saying that he encourages his officers to regularly study and second-guess use of force incidents that occur in other parts of the nation). Ultimately, trust cant be bought simply by pouring money into the pockets of body cam providers like Taser. In a statement, the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) wrote, “The failure of the Staten Island Grand Jury to file an indictment in the killing of Eric Garner leaves New Yorkers with an inescapable question: How will the NYPD hold the officers involved accountable for his death? And what will Commissioner Bratton do to ensure that this is the last tragedy of its kind? Unless the Police Department aggressively deals with its culture of impunity and trains officers that they must simultaneously protect both safety and individual rights, officers will continue to believe that they can act without consequence.”
Posted on: Thu, 04 Dec 2014 02:15:00 +0000
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