Body Cameras Don’t Come Off Well with Police Officers

There is a lot of “he said, she said” when it comes to police stops, it’s for this reason that a new product is being introduced into the field.  With record setting complaints against the police, precincts are looking for new and better ways to manage their police force.  With new advancement in technology and services like New York City CCTV Systems, personal recording devices are being developed. 

Thank Goodness for Progress

These advancements have led to the development of equipment small enough to clip unto any officers uniform.  The miniaturized video cameras can be attached to a collar, cap, shirt or side of an officer’s glasses.  These recording devices come equipped with digital audio recording devices as well.  Through these sophisticated equipment we are able to clearly record every aspect of the interaction between officer and civilian. 

 Advancement of powering options have also led to High-capacity battery packs that are light in weight and can last for an extended shift.  One of the best features is the automatic upload feature.  This means no way of tampering with the evidence.  Videos are automatically uploaded to a central server which is controlled by an external entity.   Think of this as a digital evidence locker. 

Taste of Their Own Medicine

With all the surveillance it’s no wonder that some cops are against the implementation of these cameras.  Mr. William A. Farrar, the police chief in Rialto, California has had a tough time selling the idea to his patrol officers.  Some of the older officers initially were questioning why “big brother should see everything they do”.  Mr. Farrar went on to remind them that civilians record officers all the time, not always representing both sides of the story.  In essence this would be a help to police showing exactly what has happened.  After all if you are doing an honest job there is nothing to worry about. 

You Don’t Say?

For a year now every week, half of the officers from Rialtos police have been randomly selected to wear these cameras.  The officers wearing the cameras are expected to activate them whenever they have an interaction with a civilian.  The cameras contain a great feature, it’s “pre-event video buffer” continuously records and holds the most recent 30 seconds of video when the camera is off.  This captures the initial reason for activating the camera ensuring nothing is missed of the interaction. 

The results from the first 12 months have been nothing short than amazing.  In a short period of time drastic results were being seen.  With only 50 percent of the uniformed patrol officers wearing cameras the department had a whopping 88 percent decline in complaints filed against them.  They also saw a decline in force being used in 60 percent of cases.  This is a no brainer.  Being constantly watched has brought some ethics to these police officers.  It has made them aware that their action may have consequences.  If anything else it has at least brought them off their power trip. 

Let’s Hope For the Best

The usage is still in its beta stage but it seems that this is a technology that is here to stay.  With time we will see more police department incorporate this into its daily arsenal.  Thanks to companies like Cyber Technology and their New York City CCTVSystems and New York CCTV Systems services more and more surveillance systems are being implemented, capturing otherwise lost evidence.