Just what do cameras, body, dashboard, cell phones add to the legal system? Well, more justice, more responsibility, fewer mistakes and overreactions, quicker justice, and finally more protection, less liability and less costs for cities and states. How long, if not all ready, will it be before liability insurers understand this and start offering discounts to those same cities and states for mandating cameras? How long before departments stop hiding the actions of their officers and require responsibility of those same officers. The attitude of many of those department managers is that the camera is the enemy of the police and the justice system. How do they not see what we all can see? Do they not understand that they, in the end, are creating not just more danger to the public, but also their own officers? Yes, they do hide behind the claim that they can’t afford those cameras, while at the same time creating a situation where ultimately they are promoting the old We v. They, that, for decades we’ve been fighting to get away from.
Legislatures, along with the police, must rethink, adapt, and employ the technology that is out there and already being used by many communities. So why aren’t they all moving up to the latest tech? Because those same departments KNOW they have officers that believe the end justifies the means, whether that means exaggerating, outright fabrication, or shooting at those they think are worthy of being shot. And there are prosecutors who also know the same and therefore should be pushing for the latest tech to show exactly what happened. When we get there, justice will more balanced and accessible.
Isn’t that we, the public, the police, prosecutors, and the legislatures want? A more efficient judicial process!
