Police Body Cameras in School Environments

Abstract

Over the past several years, law enforcement and citizen relationships have become strained for a variety of reasons. One significant reason is the increasingly frequent use of police body-worn cameras in diverse environments and situations, even though such usage has the staunch backing from both community stakeholders and the police departments in which they serve. This dichotomy of support could be attributed to different problems that have surfaced since the introduction of the body-worn cameras. One problematic area of contention is the implementation of body-worn cameras within school and educational settings. Police body-worn cameras come with their own specialized constraints and challenges to effective implementation. School districts are now partnering with local police departments in a collaborative effort to combat violent crime in schools. Recent tragic incidents on school campuses have increased in the United States and a movement towards increased security measures has started to take place. Police body-worn cameras can be vastly beneficial when utilized within these school environments.