Again, MAKE POLICE WEAR CAMERAS

A policeman that know he's being watched can be saved from his own bad behavior. It's called the Hawthorne effect, and it improved behavior 75 years ago. It's a scientifically demonstrated, although disputed, effect on human behavior.

http://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.2316555.1428463384!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_300/image.jpg



Here is the reality, the policeman will know he is not being observed all the time, but if there is an incident that warrants review the imagery from a camera will be reviewed.  If the imagery conflicts with the story he explains to his superiors he knows he will be caught.  Knowing that any inconsistency may be found out, what is the reason one would have to make up a story about an incident? If one knows they cannot lie their way out of a situation, then they know that they will be found out.

If they can't get away with the crime, then the cost-benefit analysis of any grey area situation is slanted to not acting badly.

If you want to read what the Hawthorne effect has done in other areas of crime prevention:

http://www.popcenter.org/library/CrimePrevention/Volume_13/Anticipatory_Benefits_in_Crime_Prevention.pdf

Body Camera Rule: How do you stop a policeman from turning off a camera?

 

My suggestion for the laws around body camera use is that body cameras should be enforced by law.  If the officer turns off his camera, then his testimony is discounted versus other witnesses.  That should be the law; turn off the camera, then you are treated as suspect. 

Body cameras should also have a log of when the device is turned off, turned on, and complete GPS location for the entire shift.  The more data the better.