Since the numerous
police-related deaths involving young African Americans, many people and
politicians have suggested that every police officer don a body camera that
will increase their accountability for their actions. However, CNN reporter,
Tanzina Vega, writes that having these cameras pose a variety of potential
issues including who will have the right to access the footage, when police
will have their cameras on, and how the footage should be stored. Because of
these issues, Vega argues that these body cameras may help in some areas, but
could also lead to other problems for the police force and the country as a
whole.
As race riots are continuing,
this idea of implementing a federal law requiring police officers to wear body
cameras at all times are extremely popular among minorities and politicians who
are trying to relieve the race-related unrest. However, this article does pose
a series of reasonable counterarguments to this potential law; it outlines how
the cameras can violate person’s right to privacy and how the footage might not
be seen as objective because police could have the control to turn the cameras
on and off freely, unlike the footage of a civilian. This can be related to the 4th Amendment, which guarantees all citizens the right to privacy. The implementation of body cameras, while they may help police officers be more accountable for their actions, violates this right to privacy.
Source:
http://www.cnn.com/2015/05/03/politics/body-camera-challenges/
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