Does anyone disagree that all cops need body cameras, and should be required to use them?
I’m torn on the idea. While it would be very helpful in these kind of circumstances, these circumstances are quite rare in the grand scheme of police interactions.
Consider the effect it would have on the applicant pool for police. Consider the privacy and data mining implications considering every officer becomes a mobile surveillance station. Would you let an officer with a camera running into your home? If you are a rape or assault victim would you talk to them knowing the camera is rolling? You can’t give the office discretion to turn it off, otherwise I think you would find it conveniently turned off.
Plus, wide angle cameras with fixed point of view are difficult to judge distance and depth and context of interactions.
Even with all that, I’m not sure it is a bad idea, but I wonder if the benefits will outweigh the negatives.
