The Bloomington Police Department has taken a step forward by using body cameras.
The department ordered 30 cameras last year. The cameras are put on an officer’s uniform and record the audio and video of their time on duty.
These cameras will hopefully help both officers and civilians by recording exactly what happens in any altercation with the law. If all of America got on the camera boat, maybe we wouldn’t have so many problems with the police.
Not all police officers are violent or power-abusive. I expect the large majority aren’t. But the small few that are have given the law a bad connotation.
The events in Ferguson, Mo., are a recent iteration of a long-standing clash between civilians and officers. Blame is fired both ways, and we’re left wondering how so many people got hurt and died. These body cameras could stop that.
If a police officer wears a camera, there’s little doubt about what happens when they’re on duty. If they heroically save the day, there’s a nice recording of their bravery.
If they smack poor suspects around, there’s some great evidence for the prosecution. And if a citizen were to try and lie about being abused by the police, there’d be exonerating proof against it.
I know that asking someone to wear a camera around for hours a day on their job is asking a lot. Besides being kind of a hassle, it invades some privacy. We certainly wouldn’t ask an average citizen to document their work hours with video proof.
But police officers wield a power and authority that average citizens don’t. They can face life or death situations.
They make choices that strongly and immediately affect the lives of many others. That kind of power comes with great responsibility and perhaps even giving up some personal privacy.
These cameras work. A year after police officers started wearing cameras in Rialto, Calif., police violence dropped by 60 percent. The cameras benefit everyone, making police officers’ jobs easier and clearer.
Bloomington is not a hotbed of violence. But body cameras can still do good here. One was just used to show an officer’s good conduct during a shoot-out earlier this month. This could be applied to many other cities across America.
Body cameras aren’t going to solve everything. In some places people will still clash with the police. But they can be used to minimize violence and lies on both sides. In they end, they’ll help officers do a better job of protecting and serving. They’re worth considering.
sckroll@indiana.edu
