Assignment:
For this forum, students will discuss the use of technology in law enforcement, and how this technology may impact police practices, ethics, and relationships within the communities police operate. Through this discussion students will attain a better understanding of police techniques and technologies, police ethics, and the importance of good rapport between police and the communities they serve.
Read the attached news article: CCJ1020Module3DiscussionArticle(1).pdf
Craft an initial post of at least 200 words that thoroughly addresses the following elements:
1. Should evidence of police shootings taken by officer-worn body cameras be made available to the public? Why or why not?
2. In the first year after Rialto, California, police officers began using body-worn cameras, citizen complaints against officers decreased by 88 percent. However, further research indicates cameras may not be as effective at reducing officer use of force and citizen complaints as previously thought.
- How might police body cameras affect police-community relations? Discuss.
- According to your text and the above article, what are some factors that might increase or decrease the effectiveness of police body cameras?
- Are body cameras still useful, even if they do not reduce officer use of force and/or citizen complaints? Discuss.
3. What do you think the relationship is/will be between officer-worn cameras and ethics? Consider the "Ethics in Law Enforcement" section. Be sure to define what ethics is in your response.