Police Use Of Force Drops 60% When Officers Required To Wear Video Cameras

[Timpo]

Police Use Of Force Drops 60% When Officers Required To Wear Video Cameras | Ben Swann Truth In Media

Police Use Of Force Drops 60% When Officers Required To Wear Video Cameras
PoliticsUSBy: Jay Syrmopoulos Mar 10, 2014

Rialto, CA- The Rialto Police Department, over the past year, has been experimenting with equipping body cameras to the 70 officers on its force. The initial results show a promising solution to the excessive use of force by officers.

The police chief in Rialto, Tony Farrar, is on record as stating, “ I think we’ve opened some eyes in the law enforcement world. We’ve shown the potential.”

This potential he speaks of is due to the scientific data that this experiment has yielded over the course of the last year. The body cameras were introduced on officers in February 2012, over the next twelve months total complaints filed against them dropped by a staggering 88%, with use of force by officers dropping by 60%.

With the cameras there has been an improvement in officer’s demeanor and tone towards those they serve. As Chief Farrar noted, “With a camera they are more conscious of how they speak and how they treat people.”

When those in a position of authority are watched they are less likely to abuse that authority. Chief Farrar says, “That’s just human nature. As an officer you act a bit more professional, follow the rules a bit better.” In addition it also helps protect officers from false accusations of excessive use of force.

Chief Farrar is providing a new paradigm for policing, taking a proactive approach rather than making excuses for his officers and toeing the line. To his credit he has a master’s degree from the Cambridge Institute of Criminology, from which stemmed the idea to utilize cameras.

 

[shawn110975]

this should be standard on every cop in America, it would help with proof when presented in court etc.

the only bad thing I can see is if your being recorded they might not let you go for speeding or something stupid and the cop tells you to go home, he cant he has to give you the ticket ya know

 

[jond]

With so much corruption in police depts around the country, there's no good reason this shouldn't be mandatory.
It should also be impossible for the officer to turn it off.

 

[ProOnThaSnow]

You think maybe, just maybe, some of the public doesn't act out the same when they know their being recorded? Or the don't file false claims, because they know the officer has proof? Not saying it accounts for the entire statistic by any means, but I imagine it has to to some extent...

 

[nsxotic911]

It's both. This is great.

 

[Hasdrubal]

For what it's worth, when I went through the academy in WA five years ago, they told us repeatedly that we should act at all times as though someone was recording us, because with the rise of the cell phone camera, someone probably was. I took that to heart, and nothing I've ever done has been youtube worthy yet. I even get guys thanking me while I'm driving them to jail once in a while, because I treat them like human beings.

 

[EuroBoutique]

I don't think it takes a Masters in Criminology to know using cameras is a good idea. The problem has always been to get officers and departments to be receptive to this idea since it does take away some privary from the officer too.

Imagine if everyone who works a desk job had a camera pointed at them? Or maybe that is a bad analogy since they don't serve the public, how about a fireman?

Or Medic?

I have worked in the LE industry for many years and we provided gear for officer safety and squad cars. Part of my job was to attend CopsWest each year and look at the technology to see what is good for the law enforcement (LE) world. Many are gadgets but many are state of the art that will usher a new era in police gear. Just look at many of the Hollywood movies out there and a lot of the science fiction will one day be reality.

The trick is to balance big brother monitoring with privacy laws. As with any situation there is alway a pro and con.

 

[Stephen@NCAutoUSA]

I don't think it takes a Masters in Criminology to know using cameras is a good idea. The problem has always been to get officers and departments to be receptive to this idea since it does take away some privary from the officer too.

Imagine if everyone who works a desk job had a camera pointed at them? Or maybe that is a bad analogy since they don't serve the public, how about a fireman?

Or Medic?

I have worked in the LE industry for many years and we provided gear for officer safety and squad cars. Part of my job was to attend CopsWest each year and look at the technology to see what is good for the law enforcement (LE) world. Many are gadgets but many are state of the art that will usher a new era in police gear. Just look at many of the Hollywood movies out there and a lot of the science fiction will one day be reality.

The trick is to balance big brother monitoring with privacy laws. As with any situation there is alway a pro and con.

Being watched on camera at a desk job and serving the public and being watched on camera is the same concept. It's all psychological to an extent. Like mentioned above it's both sides, if the perpetrator knows they're being recorded they are probably less likely to do the extreme, the same goes for the other side.

Now being watched at desk job may be less of an issue, but it still comes down to accountability and responsibility of the task at hand.

Maybe I just don't care if people watch me work, eat at work, or search nsxprime at work. It doesn't bother me but then again, I do my job :tongue: