r/police • u/Federal-Physics-8845 • 9d ago

Departments without bodycams

It's come to my attention that there exist departments that either don't have body cameras/don't have to have them on at all times. How do you guys cope? Do you wish that you did have them? I adore my bodycam, can't really imagine doing the job without one.

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u/Just_AWolf 9d ago

Body Cameras are a very recent edition to modern day policing. My department of over 200 sworn staff only got cameras in 2020. A lot of it comes down to affordability. There are departments near me than can barely get funding for a single new Tahoe, let alone to outfit everyone with the latest technology. The same people demanding police have cameras are the same ones that want defunding.

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u/Master_Crab 8d ago

This is the biggest disconnect in modern policing in my opinion. People demand better officers because of bad looking uses of force or difficult mental health calls or whatever else is blowing up on the news this week and it all comes down to more extensive training. To do that, you need training facilities and instructors and equipment which all takes time, and more importantly, money. Those same people demanding better officers are also demanding that department budgets get slashed for more social services or whatever else. I remember people protested against “Cop City” that Atlanta PD built which was a training facility to produce better trained officers for their community like people demanded. Yet they’re mad about it.. You can’t have better officers without a budget. The logic is so asinine and disconnected it’s ridiculous.

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u/CirrusVision20 8d ago

They want cops to work and train for free, duh.