Some days it seems like you cannot turn on the television without hearing another incident of police brutality and violent arrests. In a time when the media is busy showing the worst of what is happening in this nation, however, others are doing their best to highlight the good that police officers and public defenders are doing. Social media sites are filled with feel good videos and stories that demonstrate the compassion of many of the officers who are paid to serve and protect the community.
An officer pulling over on a neighborhood street to help a young child get back on a bike after a spill, a group of fire fighters returning to a home with much needed groceries for a struggling family, and an off duty officer stopping to help an elderly person make her way safely across an intersection are the real heroes of today’s society. And as many citizens demand in car police video systems to hold officer accountable, some public service departments realize that these police car video systems may instead capture their officers respectfully serving the community that is so afraid of police violence.
In Car Police Video Systems Are an Expensive Part of Small City Budgets
While many large cities have large budgets to purchase the latest police car video systems, some small communities struggle to purchase this equipment. From purchasing dash camera to body cameras, the smallest departments often find themselves with the greatest need. Interestingly enough, as large cities receive budgets that allow them to upgrade the technology that they use, older and unused equipment often finds its way into the cars of smaller community police forces.
Still working, replaced in car police video systems, for example, are often far more affordable when they are purchased used. Between the years 2000 and 2003, for example, the number of in-car police cameras increased from 3,400 to 17,500. And while some of these cameras were new, others were used systems that were sold by large city forces to the forces in smaller cities. As a result of the increase in the number of cameras being purchased, an entire industry has developed to repair and upgrade older units so that they can be purchased and used by departments that have much smaller budgets.
Currently, 72% of the state police and highway patrol vehicles in use are equipped with video systems. These systems are a combination of the newest and best technology that is available and the still functioning older models of cameras. While the budget that a city or police force has may determine the quality of the camera in a police car or on a police body, the security that the images provide does not vary. Video technology across America is being used to both promote the police departments for their extraordinary deeds, while at the same time monitor the actions of the few who are abusing the system. And while the media may continue to highlight the cases that do not go well, technology can help departments prove that they are respectfully serving and protecting America’s communities, both large and small.