Following Misuse, Advanced Tech Comes to Body-Worn Cameras

In a time of heightened scrutiny of police departments due to unarmed civilian shootings and use of force incidents, body-worn cameras have emerged as an option to increase accountability. However, as evidenced by a particularly concerning example from Baltimore, body-worn cameras are susceptible to tampering.

To address these shortcomings, video-imaging company Digital Ally has introduced patents for cameras that begin recording based on different stimuli, rather than officers deciding to turn them on. Different stimuli include gunshots, a spike in heart rate, or an officer removing a gun from their holster. Other patents describe cameras that can scan for faces in public, identifying missing persons or those with active warrants.

Advocates for body cameras maintain that they increase transparency for police departments while also reducing the burden of police work (e.g. evidence gathering). However, groups like Upturn argue that we’ve yet to see evidence of improved transparency: their analysis of 2017 police shootings revealed footage was not released to the public in 40% of cases.

While body cameras can help address police accountability, cities should realize that body cameras cannot be meaningful tools without enacting consistent policies that ensure footage is released to the public.

Source: S. Fussell (September 26, 2018). The Always-On Police Camera. Retrieved from: https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2018/09/body-camera-police-future/571402/