User:Jordancgrasso/The Age Of Ferguson

The Age of Ferguson refers to a modern age in which technology is allowing the public to record and spread police actions, causing national discussions of race and police culture. The public is beginning to use technology in the form of cameras and smart phones to record police abuses of people of color while police are using video technology to film their public interactions. It is causing a dialogue to begin to address the racist culture that infiltrates the institution of the criminal justice system while acknowledging and changing the culture of policing that involves race-based practices.

From the Age of Ferguson, not only is the public more capable of filming and showing excessive use of force, law enforcement agencies have begun to implement body-worn cameras. In 2013, a judge in New York decided to address the issue of racism within the police department by ordering the use of body-worn cameras. It was assumed that requiring officers to record encounters with the public would hold them more accountable for their actions and change the flawed police practices of using race as a predictor of criminality. The interpretation of evidence is dependent upon the point of view from which it is recorded. The public has been recording police from the outsiders’ perspective. Footage from the outsiders’ perspective has made it difficult for police to combat claims of misconduct. Body-worn cameras allow the police to show their side of the story.

Police Body-Worn Cameras in the Age of Ferguson
Law enforcement officers have been performing their own technological revolution to follow the increased use of cell phones and other portable devices by the police. Visibility of police actions is possible through the use of body-worn cameras. Cameras allow knowledge of the law and actions of police to be observed through actual occurrences rather than solely through speculation. The recent acceleration of technology has pushed police to adapt to changing times and incorporate new technology into their own routines before they become “out-tech’d”. The Age of Ferguson allows for visual records to be made at any time by anyone.

Law enforcement officers have embraced the use of body-worn cameras as a means to handle complaints and show the police perspective of incidents. A study conducted in Orlando, Florida found that most officers had positive perceptions of body-worn cameras because they were expected to better the behavior of citizens while also potentially making officers behave more “by-the book”. Another study, conducted in Mesa, Arizona found that 77% of officers believed the cameras would positively impact the behavior of officers, making them behave more professionally. The American Civil Liberties Union has positive opinions of the use of body-worn cameras, believing that they will provide accountability of law enforcement officers. Relationships between the public and the police are expected to better due to the dialogue body-worn cameras are expected to begin about transparency and accountability. The cameras have the opportunity to better educate and connect both populations.