BlogLine

Police Body Cams – Look Before You Leap!

6/10/16

By:  Sun Choy

Many in the media and the public believe that law enforcement agencies should be rushing to equip every officer with a body cam.  While the focus is on the many benefits of body cams, there is little discussion about the many limitations and unanswered questions raised by the use of body cams.  In this article from The Police Chief, the author concisely addresses the many challenges associated with body cams.  These issues range from the practical – how do you ensure officers turn on the cam at the right time – to the potential for civil liability – do officers have a right to record inside private homes or other areas where there is a reasonable expectation of privacy.   The very valid point of the article is that agencies must thoughtfully address these challenges before rushing to deploy body cams.