ABC Action News. (n.d.). St. Pete police oversight committee clears officer in 2021 shooting of teen [Photograph]. ABC Action News. Retrieved December 9, 2024, from https://abcactionnews.com

Where We Stand Now

Since there have been cracks in policing in terms of who departments hire and what their policies are, there have been specific measures in recent years to combat the shortcomings of the police. One of these implementations has been body-worn cameras. Body-worn cameras became popular in the United States in 2014. After the killing in Ferguson, Missouri, of Michael Brown, this incident was heavily disputed but ultimately and controversially found justified. This sparked the conversation for mandated bodycams, and in 2015, funding was given federally to departments for them. They serve as an omnipotent eye, watching every move of officers and people in encounters to see the facts about every encounter. This measure can be described as a guardian angel for good officers following the rules and regulations, saving them from unnecessary slander. At the same time, it serves as a spotlight for officers not following the rules, being prejudiced, and abusing their authority. Independent oversight boards are the other measure implemented to serve as checks and balances for departments. They are comprised of members outside of the police department from a community to review police use of force and decide if it was justified or not. They also usually decide disciplinary actions taken against an officer who was found not justifiably to use force. These all are preventative measures to ensure the police are doing their job effectively and not violating peoples constitutional rights.

USA Today. (n.d.). Knoxville police have new body and car cameras. Here's how they work [Photograph]. USA Today. Retrieved December 9, 2024, from https://usatoday.com