Although I often think that the increasing use of technology empowers corporations and Big Brother to abuse their powers, here's one instance that it may accomplish just the opposite.
Fifty Mesa police officers are piloting a year-long program that has them wearing camera headsets made by Scottsdale-based company Taser International. Cronkite News reporter John Genovese shows how the cameras document the officers' every move and keep their supervisors in the loop.
Mesa Police Cameras from Cronkite News on Vimeo.
What's that wet stuff on the ground? It rains in Mesa?
ReplyDeleteLooks like the Phoenix Police Department will be following in Mesa's footsteps. A new program will keep nearly 50 Phoenix police officers under constant surveillance.
ReplyDeleteSource: On-officer cameras to be tested on Phoenix police officers
Looks like this technology is providing itself very useful.
ReplyDeleteVideo has just been released of a Phoenix Police officer fired for unprofessional conduct. That officer wore a department-issued body camera for three months. The video captured by that body camera led to his termination.
This all started with one complaint against the officer for unprofessional conduct. Investigators went back and looked at all of his body camera videos. He was eventually fired after what they saw.
Read more at: Officer's body camera reveals 'unprofessional conduct'
Interesting questions about the use of these cameras coming out of a Charlotte-Mecklenburg (NC) police pilot program.
ReplyDeleteCivil libertarians say the cameras raise other questions. Chief among them is whether the camera footage – captured at taxpayer expense – would be a public record. Should the videos be available to people with a grievance against an officer? What about the merely curious?
Read more at: Police: Pilot camera program could help officers, community