Nobody but the person writing this article thinks body cams will “solve the problem” but they do make us safer when they are used, and give us further investigative powers when they are turned off by accident/intentionally.
This article is from 2017. However, its claims from back then do seem to be supported (that body camera’s wont change much)
https://nij.ojp.gov/topics/articles/research-body-worn-cameras-and-law-enforcement
The problem is the court system, not the cameras. We still need the cameras to know when the crimes against citizens occur. We just need to fix the system that punishes them for it.
We still need the cameras to know when the crimes against citizens occur.
This is a silly statement. Bodycams aren’t just “cameras”. They are cameras whose physical operation is 100% under the control of the cops, and whose footage is 95% under the control of the cops, 99% in control of the criminal injustice system generally, and 1% in the control of defense lawyers and the general public in the most extreme of circumstances when we can actually force its release despite the fact that it’s not likely to benefit the cops.
Bodycams are another weapon used against us. The cameras which have a chance of changing things are those which we have a chance in hell of actually controlling ourselves. Cell phone cameras have done far more for us than any increase in the surveillance state—including and especially bodycams—ever will.
All that said, it’s better to have them then to not have them. What would be the point of removing them? It’s just another possible data point.
While we can all agree that bodycams don’t solve the problem, the argument presented for why they are bad is incredibly weak.
If a cop is close enough for their bodycam to see or hear you, then you are already being surveilled, and you are already being intimidated. Anything you say or do can already be used against you. At least a camera (if it’s on) will limit their ability to just make shit up.
It’s also a bit strange for someone arguing for taking action outside of the system to also seemlingly think that the only meaningful repercussion for police murder would be conviction.
Because something doesn’t fix everything then we can’t have it? They’re still great
Just make police testimony unadmissible to court if the camera is off
That would be ridiculous. So much important evidence and intelligence would be left useless because it wasn’t filmed by a body cam
But there are multiple reasons why a body can wouldn’t be recording, other than the police deciding not to use it?
