Assignment:
The increased use of technology by police officers does not pose a threat to civil liberties. I do not believe that Police Departments utilizing modern technology, such as body cameras pose a threat to civil liberties. This aid of body cameras and other modern technology benefits both the officers and the community. There is more accountability for the officers in the field. This also should provide a sense of security for citizens as all incidents are recorded and reviewed. There are no more questions about what happened on the scene, what was said, and if there was excessive use of force.
This is all documented on the body cameras. There is also accountability for the citizens, as all their verbal and non-verbal communication is recorded as well. At times when cell phone footage has been viewed for officer-involved shootings, it is far into the incident and there is too much unknown. The original call, what is the person being pursued for, and how did the officers get to the point of needing to use force? Those unknown questions are answered through the use of body cameras and dash cameras. This covers liability as well for officers and departments that are being sued for civil liability in cases. The unknown is removed.