Body Cameras

Jhayda Johnson

Police officers should wear body cameras on their body because it can help the officer or the victim in the long run. If the police officer is being accused of assaulting the victim and he did not do anything, then the body camera can give that officer justice. Vice versa, if the victim is being assaulted by the police officer then that person would get justice too. For example, when Michael Brown was shot and killed by a police officer for allegedly resisting arrest, a body camera would have been helpful for the court in solving the case.

There are not just pros to body cameras, there are also cons, and certain debates over whether or not they are an invasion of privacy have often come up. In my opinion, I do not think they are just for the simple fact that they can give somebody their innocence or help a family know who was to blame for an incident. I also believe that they are not an invasion of privacy because they are not showing negative things; if the officer is doing his job correctly then it would not be a problem.

I think the body cameras do become a problem when the officer starts to act differently because he or she is on camera. Cameras should not affect an officer’s work ethic; they should not act a certain way because their bosses can see them at all times. An officer should always act accordingly, no matter the situation.