Body cameras first began to be used by police departments in the United States following their adoption by law enforcement in the United Kingdom in 2005. But it was not until the fatal shooting of Michael Brown in 2014 by a police officer in Ferguson, Mo., which was not captured on video, that the United States saw a big push to mandate body cameras for officers — and soon after, the first requests from unions for increased compensation…
Full story: Police Unions Ask for Pay Raises Before Starting Body Camera Programs – The New York Times
Is paying police officers more inherently problematic? This article mentions that police unions across the U.S. are negotiating for higher officer pay when bodycams are mandated by their departments. Unions are nearly always allowed to renegotiate contracts when there is a “change in working conditions,” and mandatory bodycams are recognized as one such condition. This article insinuates, however, that this is inherently problematic.
Why, exactly, is paying officers more problematic? If you’re a bleeding-heart liberal, then you believe that officers should be “professionalized”—and whether that means improving current officers or hiring better ones, that costs more. If you’re a die-hard conservative, then you believe in free-market principles, and the current labor shortage necessarily drives up wages.
Are officers already overpaid? Should we expect officers to do more—and do it better—without a change in compensation?
In response to the question, is paying police officers more inherently problematic? I say yes, it is more problematic. In this specific article, it is mentioned that officers believe they deserve higher pay because of body cams being mandated by their department. I believe that having a body cam for your safety, as well as the safety of the people/person you are interacting with should not come with a higher price. It is in turn a benefit to you and the people you work with. On the other hand, if you are asking to be compensated for body cams because you are doing something you are not supposed to and feel that you need to have a change of character, either when making an arrest, or communicating with a fellow officer, there is an issue.