Police Shootings Have Not Increased, But Media Coverage Has

Although it may seem like the number of police shootings has significantly risen, the reality is that it has not. However, coverage in the media of police shootings has greatly increased. Even with 72% of state police and highway patrol vehicles possessing video systems, body cams are proven superior. In fact, 77% of officers feel safer with body worn cameras for police than they do with police dash cam systems.

Recent headlines highlighting the deaths of Americans like Michael Brown, Eric Garner, and Tamir Rice at the hands of law enforcement have led many to no longer feel safe. The truth is that more media coverage has made the issue mainstream and awareness has spread rapidly. Why has media coverage increased so much in recent years? Advancements in modern technology are the answer.

Smartphones and social media play a big role in how information is spread these days. With people recording just about every moment of their lives and sharing it with the world, police activity is often captured as well. In some cases, these recordings are used in court as part of the deciding judgement.

For example, in the shooting death of Walter Scott, had there not been a video taken by a witness near the scene, the public would not have known the reality of the event. The video shows Scott running away from Office Michael Slager as Slager shot him in the back from close range. As a result of the video being shared at a surprising rate within the first few hours of the shooting, Slager was charged with Scott’s murder.

While there may not be much information on the number of people killed by an officer in the line of duty, there are results on the effectiveness of police dash cam systems and police body cams. In fact, since implementing the use of body cameras, complaints against San Diego police have decreased by 40.5%. Furthermore, the use of “personal body” force by police officers has fallen 46.5% while the use of pepper spray has also dropped to 30.5%.

The media may expand its coverage of police activity during the line of duty, but through the use of police dash cam systems and body cams, incidents have decreased. Police departments all over the United States have been making changes to better the relationship between civilians and police officers. It is more important now than ever to bring back trust in law enforcement in the country that was built and founded on brotherhood and freedom.