President Obama Asks Congress for $263 Million to Buy 50,000 Police Cameras

[LAGC]

President Obama has asked Congress for $263 million to buy 50,000 police cameras, but no real scientific evidence has shown body-worn cameras are effective in keeping law enforcement officers from using excessive force on the public. Until now.

A new scientific study out of the University of Cambridge’s Institute of Criminology examined the Rialto (Calif.) Police Department’s use of body cameras over one year. The results showed the devices can work both ways—protecting the public from the police and the police from the public.

A significant drop in use-of-force incidents by police was recorded—59 percent—and reports against officers fell by 87 percent compared with the previous year’s total. The findings suggest that body-worn cameras could lead to fewer incidents of excessive use of force by police and protect police at the same time.

The reason, the study suggests, is that the camera’s presence creates a “self-awareness” in all participants during a police interaction. And that awareness can act as a preventive treatment, leading individuals on both sides of the law to modify their behavior when they know they’re being recorded.

http://news.yahoo.com/body-cameras-p...235121538.html

Sounds like a great investment to me. Keep both the cops and the citizens they are responding to more honest.

No more "he said, she said" bullshit.

"Hands up, don't shoot?" -- let's see the tape to figure out who's lying.

[5.56NATO]

They also need to fit the cars with cameras that cover 360 degrees, not just the front or back views.

[LAGC]

They also need to fit the cars with cameras that cover 360 degrees, not just the front or back views.

+1

The local police around here already have technology equipped on every cruiser that can automatically scan license plates in all directions, automatically notifying the officer if any expired tags or outstanding warrants by the registrant are detected.

So 360-degree cameras covering video footage in all directions should be no big feat -- probably cheaper than the license plate scanners, with as cheap as data storage is getting these days.

[NAPOTS]

cool just what we need to put the nail in the coffin of privacy.

[imanaknut]

Privacy has been dead for a long time, just ask DHS, TSA, NSA, FBI, CIA, and every other federal agency that has been spying on we the people without warrant.

[1 Patriot-of-many]

$5260 a piece.......Guess that includes the bureaucracy fee too LAGC? I think it's a good idea, just as dash cameras are. $5620 per camera is ridiculous though considering the cost of said technology today. That's gov't for you.

[5.56NATO]

Lol what's awesome about this is the people under the most surveilance are the spies themselves.

[alismith]

I'm still trying to get a mental grasp on why he's asking Congress for the money. Why doesn't he use his Executive Order and be done with it? It's worked so well for him in the past....