By Samantha Franco
On Aug. 9, Officer Darren Wilson of the Ferguson Police Department in Ferguson, Missouri. fatally shot 18-year-old Michael Brown, an alleged suspect in a robbery that took place the same night. Eyewitnesses to the crime say that Brown submitted to Wilson’s demands before the shooting, getting on the ground with his hands in the air saying “don’t shoot!” However, Wilson claims that it was self-defense after Brown attempted to physically assault him and take his gun.
Though there are other factors that play into this situation, many gaps in the story could be filled if there were film of what actually took place. If Wilson was wearing a body camera, there would be no need to speculate on the cause of Brown’s death and the liability of Wilson. This situation is just one of many that could have been prevented if police were required to wear body cameras.
“I feel that in cases such as that of Brown, having police wear body cameras would be a way to eliminate the trial and upset that cases like this cause,” Catherine Banach, FCRH ’18, said. “Body cameras allow evidentiary support in any case where a cop is forced to use his or her gun on someone.”
In many places across the country, such as New York City; Fort Myers, Florida, Anaheim, California; and Iowa City, Iowa, police departments are beginning to run trials using this technology. In a few months, 60 NYPD officers will be testing two different types of cameras in at least one precinct in each borough. This comes after Eric Garner’s fatal altercation with the NYPD on July 17.
In light of the recent increased coverage of police violence, I believe this trend is coming at the right time. In 2014, we have the ability to weave cameras into police uniforms in order to record their interactions with civilians to make sure they are correctly performing their jobs and not taking the law into their own hands. Technology has also made it easier for civilians to access information and news, which is why recent events such as those in Ferguson and Staten Island have caused many to be angry and call for the police to start wearing body cameras. Cameras can be used in order to either prove or disprove the truth behind anyone’s allegations regarding violent police-civilian altercations.
Though integrating body cameras into the police force can only improve public safety, it brings into question the nature of the police system in the United States. Have policemen lost their sense of integrity and morals that all of their actions need to be caught on film? Have police forces become so corrupt that they protect their fellow officers who have done wrong and yet do not get charged for any of the wrongs they commit against those they have sworn to protect? When citizens are afraid to walk the streets because they feel like they are targets, it is time for change.
Samantha Franco, FCRH ’18, is an English major from Ridgefield Park, New Jersey.
