Police technology and applications in law enforcement

Police Technology

Video cameras on police cars

Before the mounting of the in-car cameras for the police, there used t be several unresolved or wrongly resolved issues in the process of their duty. One advantage that came with the cameras is the possibility of verification of the racial profiling while doing their normal checks along the highways which was a major complain heard in courts across the U.S.A. In various cases in the courts, the defendants will try to skew facts in order to walk with crimes and this was a rampant happening especially in police arrest cases along the highway. With the recording of happenings between a person arrested and the police, the evidence stands out in the event the accused tries to twist facts. A clear instance is as depicted by ICAP Staff (2013);

"An officer was responding to a major incident requiring immediate police assistance. As he approached a busy intersection with lights and siren activated, he slowed to move around stopped traffic and then proceeded through the intersection. While in the intersection, he was struck by another vehicle. The officer reported that he had the green light and the right of way. No less than five independent witnesses to the accident stated that the officer ran a red light. The officer's vehicle was not equipped with a camera; however, the secondary officer who was behind the involved officer did have his camera activated. The video evidence recovered from the secondary officer's vehicle served as the unbiased witness and clearly proved that the involved officer's vehicle entered the intersection on a green light and in fact proved that the citizen's vehicle striking the officer's vehicle had run the red light. The video evidence disputed the testimony of five eyewitnesses. A multi-million dollar lawsuit had been filled against the police agency, which was dismissed based on the video evidence. The agency recovered all the costs and financial restitution for the damages to the police vehicle, as well as medical costs for the officer."

The cameras have also improved the safety of the police officers on patrol since the would be aggressor would back off knowing that the actions were being recorded and if he behaved in a manner suggesting aggression or even assaults the officer then there would be footage to help pin him down. This effect was not only on the citizens stopped but also n the police officers on the patrol. In as much as their training does not revolve around the camera, it is only human that anyone would strive to perform to their best when they know their performance is being recorded, hence the cameras have led to a significant increase in professionalism in the work of the patrol officers.