Cameras provide a necessary, useful service

Stories of suspected police misconduct, which could have been easily resolved or prevented had there been video surveillance, have become frequent. Police departments in certain areas around the country are beginning to catch on, as many now require officers to wear small cameras on their uniforms to record their time on duty.

These small cameras designed by companies like Vievu and Taser to be worn by police officers, can help deter police misconduct and curb crime.

Officer Ben Sias of Bainbridge Island, Wash., who first tested the camera, says he considers it to be a sort of “insurance policy” against claims of police brutality or corruption, according to National Public Radio.

Not only does this benefit police officers, it promotes law enforcement’s accountability to the public.

In a perfect world, police-citizen exchanges would be peaceful, orderly and legal, but this world is far from perfect. Many instances where police use excessive force against citizens and make illegal arrests and searches have occurred, but cameras have rarely been a factor in these cases.

If officers are aware that everything they do while on duty is recorded and can be used as evidence against them should they err, most questionable actions they might consider taking will likely not occur. With the threat of being fired or  prosecuted for a crime, officers are forced to better serve the public.

Cameras can also alleviate the problem of violence against officers. There are many examples of citizens reacting violently to being stopped or confronted by police, often resulting in the senseless deaths of devoted public servants.

Just as the camera policy will likely curb police misconduct, it would also remind potentially violent citizens that their actions are being directly recorded from the vantage point of the officer they might seek to harm.

Some opponents, however, feel it is an invasion of privacy for police to record without explicit permission.

Surveillance cameras in most areas of business record workday occurrences are there to promote the safety of employees and customers, so what is the difference in a police department using small cameras?

Sure, police forces are publicly supported, but this is all the more reason to record interactions with citizens. The presence of a small camera ensures that police act appropriately toward citizens with whom they come into contact because any violation of rights or overstepping of bounds is guaranteed to be on video and can be used as evidence against them.

Because virtually everything in public is already recorded on cameras, adding cameras to public law enforcement officer’s uniforms is not an additional infraction of individual privacy.

Instead, it protects against the violation of individual rights by corrupt police officers and promotes peaceful interaction.

Sarah Cueva is a sophomore majoring in political science. Her point runs Fridays.