Body cameras, also known as body-worn cameras, are devices that can be attached to your clothing, vests or secured via a harness and allow you to record your activity. Nowadays, using a body camera has become a practice embraced by service providers in both the public and private sector.

Given the importance of the video format in an increasingly digital age, body cameras geared to help public officials do their job better is a trend set to sweep through the world in the near future.

Body Cameras Are Now Being Used In a Variety of Settings

While body cameras are known for their use during police procedures, their application is not just limited to law enforcement activities. In fact, these devices are now being considered in other settings, including the healthcare industry, for university security, search and rescue operations, road safety, and even for rail services.

By providing body cameras to frontline workers in these industries or those involved in performing these services, it’s possible for decision-makers to not just respond effectively in every situation that arises but also to ensure that there’s a great deal of transparency in the services they provide.

Many organisations also use body cameras for training purposes where they playback footage from difficult situations or encounters. This allows new recruits or employees to analyse the actions performed by the officer.

Body Cameras Make Security Services 'Safer' and More Legitimate

In a study titled ‘Self-Awareness to Being Watched and Socially Desirable Behaviour: A Field Experiment on the Effect of Body-Worn Cameras on Police Use-of-Force’, it was discovered that during the one-year period that body cameras were used, public complaints fell by 88% compared to the previous 12 months.

Using body cameras has also had a considerable effect on the level of accountability among security and law enforcement professionals.

With body cameras acting as ‘digital supervisors’ - as stated by Jeff Karpovich, the chief of security and director of transportation at High Point University in High Point, North Carolina - these devices have had greater success in ensuring that security agents abide by established rules and only use reasonable force when necessary.

Citizens Feel Safer When Security Personnel Wear Body Cameras

In a study conducted among police detainees by the Australian Institute of Criminology in 2017, researchers found that 80% of individuals believed that body-worn cameras were a good idea because they provided a more accurate and complete version of events.

It is possible to argue that as a result of this, the use of force may decrease as well, ultimately ensuring that public and private security services are more reliable and accountable. This will help guarantee that security activities and procedures take place in line with established rules and regulations.

It's An Effective Defense Against Lawsuits Relating To The Use of Force

Another handy use of body cameras is their contribution to lawsuits filed against police officers, council workers or other professionals by aggrieved citizens.

While certain police forces have cast doubt on the usefulness of these tapes, in this regard, due to evidence tampering, videos of police-citizen encounters can make legal proceedings more expedient and more likely to dispense justice where it’s required.

With body cameras now featuring encryption and administrator access, deleting or modifying tapes with impunity is more difficult. This allows all parties involved to get the full picture and ensure the legitimacy of police activity.

Leverage Cutting-Edge Body Cameras For Security Purposes

Within the public order and/or security field, there is a need for greater transparency and accountability. While education and greater awareness are required to effect truly long-term changes, body cameras help us get closer to the goal we want to achieve.

Ultimately, these deceptively simple devices perform a greater service than we realise - they create a safer world for citizens, like you and I, and ensure that public and private security services perform their duties with greater responsibility.