This is the second post in a series considering the contentious but increasingly relevant issue of recording police interactions. In this series, we offer up some case-study examples where surveillance cameras have been used as a force for good.
We've often commented on the double-edged nature of persistent surveillance. On the one hand, constant surveillance can lead to various privacy and civil liberties abuses. But as the following stories show, widespread adoption of surveillance cameras by both law enforcement actors and civilians can also help hold both parties accountable.
While cops have had mixed reactions to recording their interactions with civilians, many police departments have begun to adopt in-car and wearable video camera technologies. For example, The London Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) recently announced a one-year pilot project that equips cops with body-worn video cameras to be used during their interactions with the public. Likewise, across the pond, the Boston and Los Angeles Police Departments have installed self-monitoring systems on police cruisers. Dozens of other US police departments, including those in Fort Worth, Las Vegas, and New Orleans, have deployed wearable police cameras.
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