Body worn video (BWV), also known as body cameras and body-worn cameras, or wearable cameras is a wearable audio, video, or photographic recording system.
Body worn video has a range of uses and designs, of which two well-known uses are Google Glasses and as a part of policing equipment. Other uses include action cameras for social and recreational (including cycling), within commerce, in healthcare and medical use (for example as a memory prosthetic for conditions that affect the memory), in military use, journalism, citizen sousveillance and covert surveillance.
Maps, Directions, and Place Reviews
Designs
Body worn cameras are often designed to be worn in one of three locations: on the torso, on or built into a helmet, and on or built into glasses. Some feature live streaming capabilities while others are based on local storage.
Police Body Cameras Video
Applications
Law enforcement
Wearable cameras are often utilized by law enforcement in several countries to record their interactions with the public or gather video evidence at crime scenes. It has been known to increase both officer and citizen accountability, although arguments have been made that BWVs primarily protect police. Because traumatic events may have an affect on memory, the cameras also allow video playback in the case of memory loss. The first generation of 'modern' police body cameras was introduced around 2005 in the United Kingdom. Over twenty-three million dollars has been given to police departments all across the United States to put toward the implementation of body cameras. This is to further reduce police brutality and public inquiry. Studies have shown that as a result of wearing body cameras, use of force by police has dropped significantly.
Military combat
Not only are these body worn cameras used in the police force, but they are also used to document military combat.
Privacy concerns
Concerns over privacy have been raised with this technology, for example in the context of both Google Glasses and policing.
Although this equipment has benefits in certain situations, the advent of large-scale data collection concerns, combined with facial recognition and other technologies capable of interpreting videos in bulk, means that any use of such cameras potentially creates a means of tracking much of the population at any time or place where other people may go.
In policing, every police officer wearing this technology could become a "roving surveillance camera" and with facial recognition technology, this could become a huge impact on people's everyday lives, especially those with any slight resemblance to a wanted fugitive or terrorist. This can lead to not only an increase in police harassment cases but racial bias cases as well. There are also issues concerning party consent laws. In the context of recording, the biggest issues arise from whether consent from one or all parties is required before recording a conversation or interaction. Federal and individual states have varying statutes regarding consent laws. The nature of police work has officers interacting with citizens during their most vulnerable moments, such as citizens in the hospital, or domestic violence cases, there is also a threat of citizens not coming forward with tips for fear of being recorded. And in terms of the police officer's private contexts, they may forget to turn off cameras in the bathroom or in private conversations. These situations should be considered as the technology is developed further and the use of it is becoming more saturated. Departments will need to work with advocacy groups like the American Civil Liberties Union to develop policies that balance citizen's Fourth Amendment rights with the public's desire for transparency.
Source of the article : Wikipedia
EmoticonEmoticon