This piece is part of my 2016–2026 archive migration. Some original formatting, content, and external links may be missing, changed, or not be optimized.
How accountability isn’t enough to prevent abuse of power
Checks and balances is a famous term in government and law; we have them in place to ensure everyone avoids abusing the power they have been vested with but has the abuse stopped? No.
Implementing body cameras is a step in the right direction, but it’s not the complete solution. Merely because body cameras are an option doesn’t mean everyone uses them or always has them turned on.
Here are three common myths below that discuss the limitations of body cameras that aren’t always discussed from the source, 10–8 Video:
“Myth 1: Police body cameras always capture the whole story. This is obviously a myth. While body cameras do have the potential to capture an incident from a different angle and provide a new perspective, they simply can’t capture everything. They have the same limitations as other surveillance and other cameras. Additionally, if the wearer is constantly moving, the entire video could come out blurry and distorted. On top of that, the details captured are highly dependent on where the police officer is wearing the camera on their body – a head-mounted camera will capture different footage than a chest or shoulder-mounted body camera. The success rate of police body cameras varies on a case-by-case basis, and there are so many different factors that determine how clear or effective the footage will be.”
“Myth 2: Police body camera footage can be publicly accessed because police are civil servants. This may seem true, but unfortunately, it’s not that simple. Even though public demand for police bodycam footage is high, it’s a costly demand to fill. Prepping the footage for the public is an extremely tedious process – it takes about 17 hours just to prepare four minutes of footage because the privacy of innocent bystanders, children, and victims must be protected. With these holdups, it’s just not feasible to make bodycam footage available for public access.”
“Myth 3: Police body cameras are always turned on and filming. In an ideal world, this would be true, but it’s simply not the case. In reality, police officers have a significant amount of discretion when it comes to choosing when their cameras are on or off. This has a huge impact on the footage that is captured and how effective it will be. While on patrol, there are plenty of opportunities for officers to fail to activate their cameras, whether it’s intentional or not. In fact, the Mesa, Arizona police department found that giving officers full control over when their cameras are rolling resulted in a 42% decrease in total video files generated monthly. The point remains that if the public wants a visual record of all police interactions from start to finish, municipalities must mandate it.”
So the question is, how can we implement more accountability for police officers so they aren’t abusing their power? If we invest further into body cams, where will the funding come from, and how will bodycam usage be enforced throughout all police entities?
This content is for informational purposes only — not professional advice. Consult a qualified professional before making any major decisions.