Police Technology: In-Car Cameras

A common theme throughout technological advancements in surveillance is that they are commonly met with opposition from the general public. Be it due to fear of big brother or cities taking advantage of fees that can be obtained from automated surveillance, the public is skeptical of additional police technological advancements in the relation to surveillance. One such advancement has been developed that overall is widely accepted from both police officers and the general public. The in-car camera system has been relatively recently deployed in police cars throughout the country and the benefits of it’s use have been instantly seen. Unlike other technological advancements in law enforcement, which typically only benefit the police officer, the in-car camera yields benefits both law enforcement personnel and the general public when the two come into contact with one another.

In particular in-car cameras work to promote officer safety, ensure police professionalism, better police performance, and either support or disprove complaints concerning police practices [1]. Through these benefits of the in-car camera we can begin to see the benefits to both sides that can be derived. The public can rest assured that any complaints made against police misconduct can supported from in-car cameras that record any interactions between the public and police officers during encounters, particularly traffic stops. On the other hand, police officers can effectively combat false accusations with the same device, and will more likely ensure proper police practices due to the knowledge that their interactions with the public will be able to be reviewed by superiors.

Police in-car cameras additionally produce little if any disadvantages to all parties involved in the use of such devices. It can be argued that some police officers may not like in-car cameras monitoring their practices and behavior, much like the thought of big brother watching, the advantages of it’s use far out weigh any personal preferences. The public too can little argue the use of in-car cameras due to the simple fact that in-car cameras are only used to disprove false accusations of the public, and in turn have greater intentions of ensuring proper police practices with the general public.

Upon the deployment of in-car cameras in the field of law enforcement several determinations have been made. “The in-car camera improve citizens' confidence in the police profession,

enhance the ability to capture and convict violators, record inappropriate police behavior, and provide valuable data in our efforts to ensure homeland security” [1]. In the end it was concluded that “public safety will benefit from having in-car video cameras available to all police officers” [1]. Police in-car cameras have proven to be quite beneficial to law enforcement practices, and coincidentally they have greatly ensured proper police practices with the general public.