More law enforcement agencies are using on-body video cameras to hold police officers accountable while on duty. There has been a steady use of dash board cameras over the years, but the on-body cameras capture not only the point of view of the officer, but follow the officers once they leave the car. Not everyone is a supporter of the program, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said in a press conference that it’s a “solution that’s not a solution to the problem.”
In Rialoto California, the city has become a poster city for the cameras with its pilot program. Since the cameras were introduced last year, the number of complaints against officers fell by 88 percent within the year. Officers using force fell by nearly 60 percent within that same year. In Los Angeles, while most police cars have the dashboard cams, there is concern over spending money paying for the smaller on-body video cameras for all the officers.
Do you think the on-body cameras are necessary for the police force? Does it help hold suspects and officers accountable? Should the city spend resources and money to give each officer one?
Guest:
Mark W. Clark, 27-year veteran police sergeant; Contributing editor to “Police Magazine