I believe that police officers on patrol should wear body cameras because we need everything out in the open. We need to see the good and the bad to show that we have balance and honesty. In moments of stress people can miss remember, so we need an independent witness. In the same way that DNA evidence has becomes invaluable in trials, so also should video evidence of things seen and heard. Of things done and said. If kids can film every moment of their lives on cameras and post it on social media then i see no reason that police offices cannot do the same for when they are out on patrol.
I believe that …
- Jury’s or judges should be able to view and release any footage because we should not hide the truth.
- Do not splice or edit footage at trial because knowing what happened before/after an incident gives context. Fast forward or rewind as needed, but maintain the integrity of each recording.
- Keep all footage for at least 6 months
- Keep footage relevant to a case brought to trial for at least 6 months after that trial
- Cameras should timestamp and geolocate footage so that archives can be searched after an event
- Cameras should be visible because we need to be open and honest.