Dear Future President,

Racism and discrimination are one of the many things this world is going through. There's been recent cases where innocent people are getting killed or shot by police officers because of racism and discrimination. There is footage out there of police officers shooting members of the public, often black people, which has become unfortunately familiar in recent years.

Police shootings are a huge problem that need to come to an end and what's a better way to prevent these needless shootings than body cameras? I believe that if police officers wear body cameras, then the suspect would see it and wouldn’t try to do anything out of the ordinary because he or she is being caught on camera. This can also help police in cases where the subject is being put under arrest and they say that the officer has hurt them in the process, but you don't know who to believe. The body camera is there to help us in cases like this. Without body cameras we can never know the truth behind an incident. Having police wear body cameras is the right thing to do.

In 2013, Russell Rios, 19, fled a Walmart in Conroe, Texas, after allegedly stealing about $50 in goods from the store. An officer, Sgt Jason Blackwelder, responded and chased Rios on foot to a wooded area. Blackwelder left the woods, Rios did not. Blackwelder later said in his report that during a struggle, Rios had choked him to the point of almost losing consciousness. Blackwelder fired his gun and killed Rios, arguing it was self-defense. But prosecutors said evidence from the scene contradicted that account, including the fact that Rios had been shot in the back of the head. Blackwelder was charged by a grand jury for manslaughter and making false statements. He was convicted in a jury trial. If Sgt Jason Blackwelder had been wearing a body camera, he probably wouldn't have shot Russell Rios and lied about the incident.

In conclusion, body cameras can help control police brutality and shootings. It would make things so much easier to solve a case. People want to know that the authorities will keep them safe, not kill them off and lie about it. Bad cops could be put away and good cops could keep their jobs for protecting their lives and others. Body cameras are the right choice to make and to keep the community safe.

Sincerely,

Deja