Police Surveillance

            In class, we discussed the Jennicam and the idea of being watched. I thought that this related to a controversy that I have been discussing in one of my other classes. Police worn body cameras have become a controversial topic with the advancements in technology.

In the state of New York, the implementation of body cameras offers a possible solution for the high crime rates and alleged police brutality.  People that are for body cameras argue that body cameras should be implemented across the entire country because it holds police officers accountable for their actions. On the other hand, critics of the body camera argue that it is expensive and an invasive. In 2014, Eric Garner was killed when put in a chokehold by a Staten Island police officer, and this case is currently ongoing under a federal investigation. According to the New York Times, “A Staten Island grand jury’s decision not to indict the officer who used the chokehold… fueled weeks of demonstrations” (Goodman). This case has furthered the heated debate over whether police officers should be required to wear body cameras. The death of Eric Garner has fueled the conflict in New York over their use (or lack of) body cameras. Black Lives Matter activists claimed that even if police officers were equipped with body cameras, the issue of police brutality would remain because of the prejudice against people of color that still exists. On the other hand, law enforcement argues that body cameras would have allowed the jury and the police department to have a clearer picture of the incident in its entirety. This controversial topic first gained traction when 18-year-old Michael Brown was shot and killed by a police officer. In response to his death NBC News states, “The White House has asked for $263 million in funding for police body cameras and training” (Dann and Rafferty). Since then, many cities and states have implemented body cameras within their police forces. With New York’s high population and crime rates, it would be expected for them to implement body cameras before other states. However, New York is one of the states that are behind in the process of implementing body cameras. With the death of Eric Garner and New York’s lack of body cameras, there are more pressures on New York to require law enforcement to wear body cameras.

One major benefit that body cameras provide is accountability for police officers as well as citizens. “Hands Up Don’t Shoot” written by Iesha Nunes, a member of the Florida Law Review, analyzes the benefits of body cameras when it comes to accountability. It discusses the Eric Garner case and claims, “the availability of the video surely clarified what actually occurred during this event… A body camera may have recorded more of the encounter, which would have provided additional context” (Nunes 1821). Critics of body cameras argue that the Eric Garner case enforces the uselessness of body cameras because even with the video footage obtained from bystanders, the jury did not choose to convict the police officer involved. However, this article argues that the footage recorded by witnesses only showed a portion of the incident, and if the police officers had been equipped with body cameras, they would have more information on the facts of the case because the event would have been recorded from when the officers first interacted with Garner. This article argues that the body cameras allowed for clarification of the event, even if it was not the incident in its entirety. With the video footage that was obtained from this incident, it allowed for facts to be made clear. It made the police officer accountable for his use of the chokehold position. Without video evidence, the police officers could have claimed that they did not use force on Eric Garner or that they did not use as much force as they actually did.

Eyewitness testimonies are not always reliable but often weigh heavily in court cases. Body cameras give the court hard evidence that can either enforce or refute an eyewitness testimony. While some people may not enjoy the idea of being recorded, these recordings can aid in criminal proceedings and strengthen the justice system.