Body Cameras Don’t Make Police More Accountable
Video footage doesn’t matter if there are no consequences for bad behavior.
Not the best accountability tool.
Photographer: David McNew/Getty Images North AmericaThis article is for subscribers only.
The death last spring of George Floyd has led to calls for greater accountability for police, appeals that are both reasonable and familiar. One way departments have responded to earlier such demands, following similar such incidents, has been to adopt body-worn cameras — and the results have been decidedly mixed.
Body cameras are typically turned on at the beginning of any interaction with civilians. The idea is that recording officers’ interactions would lead to better behavior. If officers know in the moment that what they are doing is wrong, then knowing that the camera is recording them could deter such behavior.