In August 2014, the shooting of Michael Brown led to many protests that focused on the emerging problem of police violence. For anyone that wasn’t at the scene, it can be easy to get the wrong idea on the entire situation and it’s often difficult to discern who exactly was in the wrong. 

Police are given a lot of power, and with that power comes the responsibility of looking after the public and keeping everyone safe. There should be no discrimination here, of course. No matter who it is, you need to keep them safe from harm and it’s in their best interests as officers of the law to see to it.

However, police violence can also be used against the law in malicious ways. With no way to prove if an officer actually assaulted or harmed someone (unless there are a number of eyewitnesses), it can be difficult to reach a just verdict. Because of this, police forces have started to use body-mounted cameras that will change the entire system in a good way for both sides.



The importance of evidence

In the court, the only power is evidence. With evidence, you make your claims a reality and it helps in your case. However, when something is unclear, the opinion of the judge and the jury can be swayed with some smart conversation. A lot of things said in court need to be backed up with evidence, but if someone can make a compelling argument using logic and connecting pieces of evidence, then it can become a nightmare for the defendant.

This is one of the tricks that a criminal defense lawyer uses. They need to have the utmost faith in their client, which is why they need to be on their side 100% of the time and they need to represent that in court. In certain situations, a lack of evidence in court can create strange situations that force the judge into making an uncomfortable (and sometimes wrong) decision.

Cameras will change the game

Thanks to these new body-mounted cameras that police are using, it’s possible to get the facts straight and get the evidence that judges need in order to make a solid conviction. In the past, it wasn’t completely impossible for police officers to abuse their power on citizens. However, thanks to these mandatory cameras, the evidence is abundant and the sounds and sights it records can easily sway the opinion of the judge so that justice can be served.

There are many different applications for these body mounted cameras. For example, they can be used during drug raids to record concrete evidence. These body mounted cameras aren’t yet available everywhere, however. There are more and more locations that are receiving these cameras, but as their usefulness catches on, it’s expected that in a few years time, all police forces around the world will be using them. It might cost forces a lot of money, but adopting this early technology could mean there are fewer disputes, complaints and problems.