York County police talk body cameras
By Gordon Rago, York Daily Record, Pa. | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
The 19-year-old Penn State York student was wearing a shirt and tie because he wanted to be taken seriously on what he believes is a serious issue.
Finally, he stepped up to the mic, and said, "We think every officer should wear a camera."
Shoemaker spoke on behalf of York Cop Block, a group whose members try to hold law enforcement accountable by filming police stops with cellphones if they happen to drive by them.
District Attorney
The
But the conversation started Tuesday by Shoemaker, and interviews with police and other experts during the week, revealed that the matter of pinning a small camera on an officer's lapel is widely supported as a means of developing a sense of trust between
"Cameras are a hot topic for a lot of reasons," he said. "And there's not a lot of reasons not to have them ... particularly in light of what happened in
City police to get cameras
In the
Hyers said the cameras would help drive down complaints made against officers.
"People act differently when they know they're being recorded," he said. And, he added, "I believe overwhelmingly police officers act in a professional way. Are there cases when they don't? Yes. I think cameras will mostly vindicate officers."
Grant money will pay for the cameras, Kahley said.
The department tried getting approval for body cameras more than a year ago, only to realize state law did not allow them, the chief said. But the state Legislature recently changed the wiretap law to allow law enforcement to use body cameras, Kahley said.
Police and public support
It is high-tech gadgets like body cameras that can help police officers maintain the support of the communities they serve to protect, said Dr.
"Police officers can lose support if they fail to secure legitimacy in their enforcement," Lee said. "A body camera can secure public support."
Lee, who specializes in criminal psychology and police behavior analysis, said officers are rational human beings who know the importance of legitimacy and try to act on the consensus of the public.
But, Lee said, it becomes difficult for an officer to define consensus in communities with a mix of races and varying public opinions. That can lead to the challenge of convincing the public that officers are doing a good job, Lee said.
Nonetheless, cameras will make people feel more secure because they know officers will be held accountable for misconduct, he said. And officers are under pressure and have to think about the possible repercussion of any kind of misconduct, Lee said.
"There are unfortunate occasions when police officers have no option but to use deadly force," Lee said. "This body camera can be a really good device that can actually support a legitimate use of deadly force."
Numerous
"It certainly can't hurt," she said of buying the cameras.
Others were more skeptical.
An unbiased third party
Thompson, who said she supports bringing body cameras to the police, described the cameras as an unbiased third party, which could also be a training tool for officers who can review the recording to correct any mistakes or learn how to handle a situation differently.
"Cameras tell the story," she said.
For Shoemaker, police wearing cameras can put an end to "he said, she said" in an argument between an officer and citizen.
"Officers have a difficult job, yes," Shoemaker said. "I do believe with power comes great responsibility. The majority of police are nice people, but some overstep the line."
The camera module for the body camera unit is 1.125 by 1.5 inches, according to
The camera can automatically start recording and there is an option to either have the audio always on or off when recording video, the website says.
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