Cameras Employed for Stun Gun Accountability

When an officer subdued an 18-year-old naked jogger earlier this month with a stun gun, the incident was recorded on a camera mounted to the officer’s stunning device. The black-and-white video depicts in vivid detail how the officer employed his weapon.

As a result, the police department has released the view to news media to illustrate that the utilization of the non-lethal device was justified. According to a police commander for the West Melbourne Police Department, the officer employed the correct tools which can be seen from the video that backs it up.

Across the United States, there are over 2,400 law enforcement agencies who have purchased 45,000 of the video camera attachments that TASER International began selling in 2006. In the past six months sales of these attachments have been rapid as police departments search for a way that can provide accountability for the department.

The stun gun camera is activated as soon as the officer takes the device from their holster and turns off the safety. Additionally, there is no way that an officer can disable the camera without actually disabling the gun itself.

The use of video is only going to aid an officer. After all, if the officers themselves don’t record the chain of events, someone else will and could use that recording against them.

The employment of these self defense devices by law enforcement agencies is an alternative to deadly force. However, that has not stopped its critics voicing their concerns over the years about the use of the tool.

One of TASER International’s critics includes Amnesty International. And yet, many police departments say that the organization attempts to promote misleading and inaccurate reports about the devices that are not supported by academic or medical science.

Of course, while many may be opposed to the employment of stun guns, they are happy about the implementation of the video cameras. With closely monitored and studied recordings by law enforcement agencies, the videos can be used for accountability when the actions of the officers involved are called into question.

An officer’s job is not an easy or safe one to undertake, but when officers join police departments they are doing so, so that they can serve and protect the public by apprehending dangerous suspects. The only way they can do this is with the help from a non-lethal device that doesn’t harm those involved.

This is essentially where a stun gun comes into the picture. Effective and easy to employ it can quickly subdue those who are proving a threat while eliminating any harm to the officer or suspect.