Should Chicago Cops Wear Body Cameras?

Should Chicago Police officers wear body cameras?

Superintendent Garry McCarthy favors the idea of clipping cameras to the uniforms of police officers. Dean Angelo, president of the police union, believes the cameras could be useful in providing video evidence to exonerate officers.

Chicago police spokesman Marty Maloney told the Chicago Tribune a pilot program is being considered though no formal plan is in place.

An article titled “Three Myths About Police Body Cameras” published on Slate.com puts the body-camera issue in perspective: “The cameras have the potential to increase accountability, reduce complaints, and in some situations have a civilizing effect on the way police and citizens interact. It’s only a matter of time before police departments adopt them on a wide scale. The question isn’t if but when it will happen.”

What are the myths?

1) Video evidence is objective and free of interpretation. But people often see different details based on their point of view and self-interest.

2) Video cameras will immediately improve how cops deal with citizens. But officers spend a lot of time mediating disputes, acting as social workers and dealing with the mentally ill and the grieving. In those situations, cameras could be intrusive or make people self-conscious.

3) Video will help reduce civil unrest and controversy. But the evidence on video could be “polarizing.” And video doesn’t address what takes place off camera.

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