Cameras also threaten to degrade civic values by turning police officers into walking surveillance tools. This could erode trust between citizens and law enforcement, as well as formalize casual public reconnaissance in a way that the NSA never dreamed of.
A few other questions suggest themselves. Who will have access to the videos — lawyers, the accused, any curious citizen? Perhaps someone sensing a business opportunity? Will the films be subject to public-records laws? Can police store them indefinitely, post them online, scan them with facial recognition software for use in later cases? In short, has the public fully considered the consequences of empowering police departments to create a new panopticon?
No — and it shouldn’t have to. If the recent uproar about police violence reveals anything, it’s that citizens are taking these matters into their own hands. Smartphone cameras have been ubiquitous during demonstrations in Ferguson, New York and Baltimore, and the public is getting more creative when it comes to watching the watchers. Police now know they could be monitored by citizens at any moment, and not the other way around.
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