Smile, You’re on Police Dash Camera

body worn cameras for police

Law enforcement officers strive every day to uphold the law and keep civilians safe. Cameras for our officers are important tools. The police use cameras in their buildings, on their cars and sometimes use body worn cameras for police.

The Facts
According to statistics from 2012, there were 780,000 police officers in the United States. It is estimated that the United States police force will increase by 41,400 people from 2012 to 2022.

The number of police in car video systems increased from 3,400 to 17,500 from 2000 to 2003. Currently, 72% of existing state and highway patrol vehicles have a police car camera as opposed to body worn cameras for police.

Installing police car video systems is not cheap, and smaller units often have a hard time being able to afford them and rely on federal assistance, donations and fundraisers to raise the required amount of money. More than $21 million in federal assistance was given to 47 states and the District of Columbia for in car police video systems by early 2004.

Using Body and Car System Cameras
Police units value their in car camera systems but smaller units cannot always afford them. Body worn cameras for police are usually used in place of the vehicle dash camera when a car dash cam for all officers is not available. By reviewing footage captured by police car video cameras, the units can review and critique their actions and the way they handle dangerous situations, which then allows them to improve their safety techniques. The footage is also helpful when it comes to community morale. By allowing citizens to see the videos that body cameras and police car video cameras capture, it helps to create a feeling of safety in the general public, knowing the procedures local police are conducting to keep everyone safe.

Another benefit of vehicle cameras, as opposed to police worn body cameras, is the ability to monitor the action of the police for the public’s best interest as well. Body worn police cameras can be limiting in the quality and angle of video feed, but a vehicle camera system captures incidents fully from a distance. Using a police dash cam system allows professionals in the law enforcement field to review the procedures conducted by police officers to ensure that the officers are handling all situations properly. The video footage allows the heads of police departments to address and identify police behavior.

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