Police Body Cameras

            Find a Current Event Article students will find a current news article (online or in print) about Police Body Cameras (ie: should every police officer in the US be required to wear a body camera?) that has taken place within the federal level of American governments or politics, in the last 3 months, News articles must be connected to the topic(s) assigned to the week that they are due. Summary and critical analysis Write Up Students will post a minimum of one page summary and critical analysis. Summary and critical analysis need to formulate an opinion that focuses on connecting the topic of government into our daily lives... into everything we do... Write a 10-20 sentence summary that focuses on critically evaluating what is going on, from your personal perspective. Interject your opinion. You should be making a statement, argument, and your personal opinion about the subject matter, should be known. However, this needs to be done in a professional, scholarly and academic manner. Focus on explanation, reason and rationalization, to provide a clear opinion statement and discussion of their personal perspective and political position towards the event or issue in their article. In addition, to receive full credit, please include a direct link to the original article’s text that they are using to complete this assignment.
From my personal perspective, I believe there are benefits to having police officers wear body cameras but also drawbacks that should be considered before implementing such a policy nationwide. On one hand I feel it is important for law enforcement to be held accountable for their actions by utilizing video verification to ensure proper protocol is followed during interactions with citizens; however at the same time there needs to be rules and regulations put into place so individuals’ rights are not violated (ie: recording conversations without permission). Ultimately I think if done properly requiring every officer in America to wear a body camera has real potential for creating positive transformation within our justice system while also promoting further transparency & trust between community members & officers alike moving forward . Reference: O'Donnell, J., & Zaveri, M. (2020). Police Body Cameras Would Capture More Than Just Crime Scenes [Text]. The New York Times online. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/28/us/police-body-cameras-racial-justice-protests-.html

Sample Solution

A recent article published in the New York Times discusses the proposed legislation which would require all police officers in the United States to wear body cameras. Supporters of this policy argue that it will make law enforcement more accountable, resulting in fewer instances of misconduct or unjustified use of force. Additionally, proponents suggest that requiring body cameras could lead to improved trust between the public and police departments, as well as provide a better way to document evidence in criminal cases. On the other hand, opponents of this policy believe that mandating body cameras could be an invasion of privacy and result in increased costs for police departments with little benefit. They also argue that body camera footage can be edited or misinterpreted when used as evidence.