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GracePetraglia
Ms.Gardner
English10/Per.6
10May2016
ATestofTrust:WatchingthePoliceWatchingUs
Isprivacythecostofjustice?ThepeopleofAmericahavelostconfidenceinlaw
enforcerstodotheirdutyandabidebythelineintheconstitutionthatdeclaresAllmenare
createdequal,sotheyhaverelocatedsaidconfidencetocameras.Onbodycamerasfor
policemenhavebeendeployedinroughlyonethirdofthe18,000policedepartmentsintheU.S.
inordertoelucidatetheappropriatenessofpolicebehavior.Itsimportantthatacommunityhas
astrongfoundationoftrustintheirlawenforcementhowever,theprivacyofcitizensisalso
somethingtobevaluedandatriskofbeingcompromisedwiththisnewmethodofevidence.One
ofthefactorsthatmakesthisintegrationofonbodycamerastrickyisthelackoflaws
surroundingthetechnologybecauseoftheirrelativenewness.Inaworldstillgrapplingwith
issuesofraceandabuseofauthority,theuseofonbodycamerasshouldbeimplemented
however,videosshouldnotbereleasedtothepublic,butratherexclusivelytothevictims,
officer(s)involved,lawpersonnelinresultingcases,andtherulingauthorityoverofficers.By
allowingpublicaccess,thefootageinvitestheopportunitytobemisusedbysocialmedia,limits
wherethecamerascanbeactivelyrecording,andviolatesprivacy.
Reasonably,ifpublicviewingwasprohibited,peoplewouldcounterthatthepublichasa
righttoknowandviewthecontentsofthevideos.Itwouldalsobebroughttoquestionwhether
thepolicewouldrightfullyacknowledgeeverythinginthevideos,orwhethertheywoulddelete

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incriminatingpoliceactionsinordertomaintainagoodappearance.Pointincase,Professor
Burke,formerpoliceofficer,states
thereleaseofthevideocouldhelppreventanydeepening
distrustofpolice(qtd.inGass).Additionally,aCincinnatipublicationjustifies:
The public has the right toknowwhatitspoliceforceisdoing,sothepublicmust
have prompt and ready access to video that reveals in close detail the actions of
law enforcement. Such access will strengthen itsfaithinthosewhoensureitslaw
and order. Blocking or delaying access to police video erodes public trust.
(Enquirer)
Thetrustbetweencitizensandpoliceofficersisdependentonthelatterpartytocarryouttheir
jobwithgoodcharacterandjudgment,andimpartialitytotherace,religion,orsexofpersons
involvedinthecrime.Publicsupport,racialdiversityintheforce,andrespectcouldincrease
withthecontentofthesevideosilluminatingtheactionsandintentsofthepolicemen.In
retrospect,publiclypostingthesevideosispotentiallyharmfultoallpersonsinvolvedbyabusing
socialmedia,restrictingplaceswherethecamerascouldbeused,andinvadingprivacy.
Granted,publicaccesstothefootagewouldcreatetheperfectopportunitytorebuildthe
bridgebetweenpoliceandcommunity.Nevertheless,consideringthepotentialmisuseand
numberofsocialmediausers,limitedaccesstothesevideosoftencontainingsensitive
contentisasafer,smarter,andsecureroption.Fearofthesevideosbeingconsumedlike
entertainmentiscommon(qtd.inJonsson).Concernscontinuethatvideoofgenerally
lawabidingpeoplewillfinditswayontosocialmediaortelevisionforentertainmentpurposes
voicesChristianBooneofAtlantaJournalConstitution.Thiswouldmeanshootingslikethoseof
MichaelBrownorTamirRice,bothblackvictimsofpolicebrutality,beingdisplayedforshow.

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Fromthisresearch,releaseofthesevideosisseenascreatingharmfulratherthanbeneficiary
situations,andasopposedtobeingviewedsolelyforinformativepurposes,itisopentoviewers
withatwistedsenseofentertainment.Cumulatively,thesevideosareawaytopreventtheabuse
ofpowerbypoliceofficers,buttheywouldonlycreatetheopportunityofabusebymediaif
releasedintothepublic.
Furthermore,releasingfootagewouldsetaboundaryforwherethecamerascouldbe
usedbecauseofprivacyreasons.AbillrecentlypassedinFlorida
wouldexemptfrompublic
recordlawpolicevideosshotinahouse,healthcarefacilityoranyplaceapersonwould
reasonablyexpectprivacy(Madhani).
Byoptingtoforgothereleaseofcameracontent,casesin
whichsomepoliciesallowofficerstoturntheircamerasonandoffwillnolongerbe
applicableseeingaswithensuredprivacy,officerswillbepermittedtorecordeverywhere
(Sullivan).Allowingpowertoturncamerasonandoffmanifestsanotherproblemanexcuseor
justificationastowhyanofficerstoppedrecording.Thepublicseesthisandthepolice
departmentscredencecrumbles.Withthepreventionofpublicviewing,policeboundariesof
wheretheycanandcannotusetheircameraswouldbelessrestricted,allowingthemtocapture
morefootagetovalidatetheirbehaviorandthenatureoftheincident.Ergo,thewholepointof
thecamerasaretocapturetheofficersonthejob,sohavingasituationwherecamerasneedtobe
switchedoffdoesnotmakesensethecamerasneedtobefunctionalatalltimes.
Essentially,thereisabundantevidencethatpointstoprivacyissueswiththereleaseof
onbodycamerafootage.Becausethecamerasalsorecorddistraughtvictims,grievingfamily
members,peoplesufferingfrommentalillnessandcitizensexercisingtheirrightstofreespeech
andcivildisobedienceitmakesthosepeoplevulnerabletocriticism(Sullivan).Agreater

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infringementofprivacyisthepossibilityoftheinsideofhospitals,socialservices,ormental
healthcarefacilitiesbeingexposed.When[s]omedepartmentsredactthefacesofbystandersor
thosearrested,orbluravideosomuchthatlittleisrecognizablethefootagecannolongerserve
apurposebecauseitisunusable(Sullivan).Clearly,privacywouldbeobstructed,andwithmany
peopleofquestionablecharactertoday,whattheycoulddowithinformationgleanedfromthe
videosisvirtuallylimitless.Publicmeanspublicafterall,leavinganyonewithaccesstothe
internetwithfootageofhomes,businesses,andotherestablishments.However,citizensare
callingforpoliciesthatwilleffectivelybalanceprivacywiththedesiretoholdpoliceofficers
accountablefortheiractions,conveyingtheirneedofassurancethatwithoutpermissiontoview
thevideos,lawenforcementwillstillreviewthemjustly(Feeney).
Allowingpublicaccessto

footagecaughtonpolicecamerasputspeopleatriskforridicule,stalkers,theft,andgeneral
embarrassment.
Therearelimitationstotheuseofonbodypolicecameras,mostapparent,the
withholdingoflawenforcementvideotothepublicwhichwouldonlyleadtomorewidespread
problems.Thefootageservestoimparttheundisputedtruthofanincidentthereisnoreasonto
humiliateorendangercitizensintheprocess.Asawhole,thepublicneedstoreestablisha
relationshipoftrustwiththeirlocallawenforcement.Theworldanditspeoplearerapidly
changing,sooneofthethingspeopleshouldbeabletorelyonisthepolice.Theroleofthe
policeofficerismanyapeacekeeper,lawenforcer,protectorbutnoneofthatholdsanyweight
withouttrust.Theroleofthepoliceofficeristoreinstatetherestrictionssetuponthepeople
thesecamerasareawaytocheckinonthepolicetomakesure
theyre
withinthelaw.Therole

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ofthepoliceofficerisjustanotherpartofthechecksandbalancessystemwiththeeveryday
citizenontheothersideofthescale.

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WorksCited
Boone,Christian,andCraigSchneider."ThePromiseandPitfallsofCopsandCameras."Atlanta
JournalConstitution.24May2015:A.1.SIRSIssuesResearcher.Web.25Apr.2016.
EnquirerEditorialBoard."Editorial:PublicHasRighttoPoliceVideos."Cincinnati.com.USA
TodayNetwork,2Dec.2015.Web.02May2016.
Feeney,Matthew."PoliceBodyCameras."
PoliceMisconduct.net
.CatoInstitute,22July2015.
Web.09May2016.
Gass,Henry."ClevelandCaseShowsHowBodyCamerasCanHelpPolice."ChristianScience
Monitor.13Oct.2015:n.p.SIRSIssuesResearcher.Web.25Apr.2016.
Jonsson,Patrik."WithGraphicVideo,ChicagoPoliceandActivistsAsk:HowMuch..."
ChristianScienceMonitor.24Nov.2015:n.p.SIRSIssuesResearcher.Web.28Apr.
2016.
Madhani,Aamer."CamerasonCopsaPrivacyQuestion."USATODAY.06May2015:A.1.
SIRSIssuesResearcher.Web.25Apr.2016.
Sullivan,Eileen."PoliceBodyCamerasShowMoreThanJusttheFacts."KingCountyJournal.
11Sep.2015:n.p.SIRSIssuesResearcher.Web.25Apr.2016.