Body-worn video: LE use in the USA?

[flagg]

I don't think anyone really knows. The UK police have a habit of one police force (we only have 43 in England & Wales) adapting a new piece of kit, within a short time everyone else follows suit. Rarely is there a proper evaluation after deployment, let alone an independent one. There is a Home Office (Interior Dept) technology / scientific assessment process before deployment and in the last few years an ethical assessment has arrived in a few places.



Yes. We should recognise we are in the so-called 'digital age' and for at least twenty years here live audio and or visual recordings are seen by virtually everyone as essential. No video can become no evidence.

Body-worn video (BWV) is an extension of this. I doubt many would advocate the removal of in-car video systems (although in the UK only a small proportion of patrol vehicles have them).

I do wonder whether every member of the public will want their presence, let alone engagement with the police recorded. They also become potential witnesses for clever, aggressive criminals and lawyers to pursue.

So if a citizen wants to help how do they say to an officer "Turn video off now, then I will help" and will official rules allow this?



Maybe, especially where targets apply or a top-down emphasis exists. In the UK personal discretion has steadily been eroded; yes, discretion has been wrong exercised too.

Thanks for that.

My biggest issue comes down to what I perceive(worst case scenario) as front line Policing turning in the direction of video equipped "meat robots".

The only thing missing being an audio feed connected to a Mumbai call centre with a customer service decision tree.

When it comes to Policing, I think there is nothing more important than well informed and well equipped Police at the coal face.

I see a day coming soon where the average Police patrol car in 1st world countries is equipped to automatically track and prioritize work for the Police driver/passenger.

I don't even have a problem with a Police "smart car" automatically issuing speeding, expired rego, expired warrant, expired insurance type of citations recorded and tracked on the road by a "smart car".

The idea of a "smart car" automatically prioritizing a suspected wanted felon in a vehicle over an expired vehicle warrant is a valid one in my opinion.

But I don't like the idea of the risks and behavior change that might come with BWV.

While I see persistent surveillance of great use in both protecting the individual Police officer and the public, I see the risk of a further divide between Police and the public with the potential loss of discretion.

I reckon if Police lose individual discretion then they will lose positive perception of Police by the public....individual by individual.

I'm concerned it could become more transactional and less transformational.