The increased use of technology by police officers does not pose a threat to civil liberties. On the contrary, police officers' increased use of technology such as surveillance and body cameras is meant to ensure that civil liberties are maintained. Without technology, it could have been impossible for the police to infiltrate and take down criminals. Technology has provided police officers with leverage to ensure public safety by preventing criminal activities before they can occur. Furthermore, the use of technology has helped to minimize cases of wrongful arrests. In the past, cases of mistaken identity led to the arrest of innocent civilians. Using surveillance cameras, the police can target, monitor, or arrest a suspect only when they have obtained credible evidence (Rogers & Scally, 2018). Most importantly, the use of technology has helped to promote accountability within law enforcement.
Recently, some police officers have been culpable of committing heinous crimes. The most common mistakes by the police have been excessive use of force and wrongful deaths. The African American community has been on the receiving end of police brutality, which was largely overlooked before technology became involved. Often, police officers who had engaged in excessive use of force and killing of innocent civilians got away scot-free due to lack of evidence. Currently, the use of body cameras ensures that police officers stick to the law, and those police officers can be held accountable for breaking the law when arresting as the evidence is present (Rogers & Scally, 2018). The justice system has taken measures to ensure that the police cannot overstep their boundaries.
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The police are required to operate within a specified realm of guidelines when using technology such as surveillance cameras so as not to interfere with civilian liberties. Most importantly, the police are not permitted to engage in acts of surveillance without a probable cause and a court order. Therefore, measures have been taken to ensure that the technology serves the police well while also protecting civilian liberties.
References
Rogers, C., & Scally, E.J. (1081).Police use of technology: Insights from the literature. International Journal of Emergency Services.
