Police Body Cameras – A Necessary Measure For The Law Enforcement Officers

We all rely on the law enforcement officers to protect us from any threats and dangers. The police is there to “protect and serve” and they should allow us to feel safe on the streets. The latest events have demonstrated that the system does not work the way it should. Something went wrong and some of the law enforcement officers consider that the power given to them by the law can be used without any responsibility. Do as you please and face no consequences. Indeed, recently, a series of deaths, caused by the law enforcement officers’ actions shocked the entire nation. The policemen shoot to kill, without even trying to understand what kind of situation they may have stumbled across. We have all seen the riots in Baltimore, after the death of an African-American adolescent, who was shot by a police officer. More deaths followed and this plague should definitely be stopped one way or another. The law enforcement officers have their own version of truth and at times, it is really difficult to figure out, which party is actually right in its statements. Still, it is quite obvious that some kind of measures should be taken in order to control the actions of the police officers, who are patrolling the streets. This is the main reason why the Los Angeles county is going to receive a large shipment of body cams for their policemen. Yes, even though the thought of the “Big Brother” watching us is pretty uncomforting, this is the only actual way to manage how the police react to certain situations. In addition, this tool will also be used in order to protect the law enforcement officers themselves from any wrongful accusations.

Sure enough, the society is divided in their opinions. Some of us think that this measure will help in preventing a lot of tragedies and misunderstandings and will also help in making the police much more effective at everything it does. Others are still quite skeptical about this idea – they do not think that this is such an effective measure and that cams can be turned off or broken. Besides, they think that body cams qualify as the intrusion into people’s personal lives and this fact should not be tolerated. It is obvious that the police brutality should be stopped and if some people wrongfully accuse the law enforcement officers, they should also face the consequences. The nation these days has enough problems without all those riots and blood on the streets. The policemen will be more careful with their words as well as their actions and will think twice before resorting to violence. People, who will want to offend a police officer with no reason, should also be more careful, since everything they do and say will be recorder on cameras.

There also is an additional issue that some people find quite disturbing. The money that were used for acquiring the cameras, could be used in any other way that would help other people. Yet, it is clear that body cams are a necessary evil that will probably lower the number of police brutality incidents and will even help in reducing the crime rate. Regardless of one’s opinion on the matter, the cameras will be deployed shortly and the LAPD officers will receive them this summer. One can only hope that these body cams will make an actual difference and that the law enforcement officers will act in accordance with the legislation instead of using their weapons on sight. The policemen must not shoot to kill without any good reasons and thus, it is quite clear that the body cams can be invaluable in resolving this terrible matter.

Los Angeles Criminal Attorney, www.losangeles-criminaldefense.org