Personal body cameras are some small devices that are worn on the chest or head to capture or record interactions between two parties. They are mainly used in the police departments to record the interactions between the police officers on duty and the public. Most people know personal body cameras as body-worn cameras. These devices usually have a microphone that records sounds and a camera that records video. They also have an internal memory that stores the video footage recorded for future review. Personal body cameras have become a crucial investment in many states and countries and police departments spend a fortune implementing personal body cameras.
Reasons why police officers need to wear personal body cameras
Police departments and other law enforcement departments have been evaluating and buying personal body cameras for their departments due to many reasons. In case you have not implemented the personal body cameras technology into your departments you may not be aware of why police officers are advised to wear these devices. However, the following section provides you with all the information you need to know about why police officers should wear personal body cameras.
- Enhance transparency
Police officers are among the people that should always be transparent but there are a large number of them who are not transparent. One of the things that can enhance the transparency of police officers is to have them wear personal body cameras. This is because the police officers happen to know that there is footage of their interactions and conversations being recorded when they are in the public and they cannot risk being caught misbehaving. Therefore the personal body cameras make them transparent at all times.
- Increase civility
If you talk to police officers they will tell you how it is hard for them to get citizens to comply with what they tell them. When the public realises that they are being recorded they must comply with the commands of the police officers and by doing so they become civilised. This is why personal body cameras are said to enhance civility.
- Provides faster resolutions
In case of complaints and lawsuits allegedly accusing the police officers of using excessive force or even any other kind of misconduct, body cameras can provide the footage recorded during the scene in question. Since everyone involved gets to watch what happened, it becomes very easy for the police departments to provide fast resolutions to complaints and lawsuits.
- Provide reliable and accurate evidence
Personal body cameras usually have high-definition audio and video recording making it easy for one to see clearly what happened at a certain time, the specific location and who was involved. Unlike the eyewitness accounts that may provide inaccurate evidence, personal body cameras never lie and their evidence is usually accurate. Therefore personal body cameras allow officers to review the footage as evidence in any arrests or prosecutions.
- Deter crime
Whenever you know that you are being recorded, it will be difficult for you to misbehave. However, it is very easy for people to engage in criminal activities even in the presence of police officers, especially because they know they may not be caught. With personal body cameras, the public knows that they are being recorded and evidence can be produced against them. This means that nobody can try engaging in criminal activities when they are in crowds where police officers are wearing personal body cameras. This is another reason why police officers wear personal body cameras.
Personal body cameras made by Comvision Australia can help you achieve all the above things. For this reason, if you have not invested in personal body cameras, it is time for you to do it. However, you should take a look at several guides to help you select the right personal body cameras for your department.