Police body cameras

The U.S. is suffering from protests calling for the elimination of racial discrimination. Some demonstrators lie on the ground as if they were dead, representing a mock crime scene. Other protestors march with their hands up carrying signs “Hands up, don’t shoot.” The protest was triggered by the death of Michael Brown, an 18-year-old black boy who was shot dead by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, on Aug. 9.

The police officer who shot the unarmed black boy six times was not indicted last week. The black community protested that it was racial discrimination and the justice system was unfair and Ferguson witnessed arson and looting. As more people across the U.S. joined the protest, President Barack Obama released measures. A key part is increasing body cameras attached to police officers. A body camera is a small camera attached to clothes or sunglasses and costs 400 to 600 dollars per unit.

President Obama said that the government would fund 263 million dollars to purchase 50,000 body cameras and restore trust in police and reform it. Local governments have already taken advantage of body cameras. After introducing body cameras in 2012, Rialto, California, saw a significant decline in complaints against police. However, there is controversy over the scope of the use of the cameras. For example, whether a police officer who went to the scene of domestic violence needs to obtain approval for filming the scene, whether he or she can film intimate places like a bedroom, and how long police should keep video files. There is no clear line drawn between the protection of privacy and the prevention of abusing public authority.

Today, people are more or less like the main character of “The Truman Show,” a movie that shows a person whose life is monitored without knowing. Even people are monitored by in-car black boxes and even surveillance cameras in every corner of the streets. Though this did not happen in this country yet, it makes us confusing. What will you choose – either a useful tool for public safety or a life accustomed to supervision? Maybe we need to consider the pros and cons of the cutting-edge double-edged sword.