Rodriguez 1

Diego Rodriguez

Professor Powers

English 1302

21 January 2023
Perceptions of police brutality response paper

A recent research study was conducted regarding how people perceive police brutality across America.

The experiment was conducted in South Texas and consisted of 140 students from a nearby university.

This experiment aimed to find the difference between the perception of having audio and no audio on the

police bodycam footage. The participants in the research study provide the researchers with remarkable

findings and valid statistical data. These findings and data give the researchers a better understanding of

how participants reacted with and without audio in each video.

At the beginning of the article, the author provides the reader with two questions that both Reyes

and Houston are trying to find the answers to. For example there are concerns, such as whether the

general public can consistently determine whether a forcible arrest employs justifiable force or excessive

force. The problem can be identified as how police officers take advantage of the fact that most bodycam

devices do not have a microphone, and the viewers cannot hear the recorded audio found within the

footage. This problem has been an ongoing phenomenon and the leading cause of the unsure perseverance

of police brutality incidents in recent years. The author provides the reader with statistical-based findings.

"The Washington Post conducted an investigation into this phenomenon and found that 80% of police

dash cameras in the United States are missing audio feeds" (Balko, 2017).

The answers to the questions are found at the end of the experiment conducted by researchers.

The data provided also gives both Reyes and Houston a better understanding to the
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answers they are looking for. The data gathered by the researchers clearly shows the differences in

perseverance between the body cam footage with and without audio. The participants of the experiment

displayed different reactions when shown the footage with and without the audio present. However, one

significant difference the researchers found was that almost all the participants who could hear the audio

voted in favor of excessive force being used within the footage being displayed along with the present

audio. The researchers concluded that the experiment resulted in the participants being more aware of the

police brutality happening within the footage. These findings have enabled the researchers to get a good

overview of the final results. With these results, the researchers created a well-structured overview of the

panel readings for both audible and non-audible data gathered.

These findings and data gathered proved to be very beneficial for the researchers and provided

valid answers for both Reyes and Houston. These findings give us readers a better understanding of the

questions and problems in connection to the different perseverance in police brutality across the country. I

personally believe the data displayed in the article gives the audience a better understanding of the

connection between police brutality and the lack of microphones attached to body cams. Based on the

statistics the author provides, I can justify that using microphones with a bodycam is often non-present

when officers are responding to a crime scene. This not only causes confusion to the viewers but can also

lead to misinterpretations in court and even false imprisonment. I believe it's very important for police

officers to normalize the use of microphones attached to their bodycams. This will not only clear the

confusion in court but will also justify if the officer was using excessive force towards the individual. The

use of excessive force is too much common when police officers are responding to a crime scene;

therefore, I believe the use of a microphone attached to a bodycam should be enforced.

This article provided me with great details about police brutality I never knew before. Reading

this article has enabled me to learn more about how corrupt the justice system in The
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United States can be. At the beginning of the article, the author provides examples of police

brutality and how it corresponds with the ongoing situation of police officers not having a microphone

connected to their bodycam. As a reader, this made me more aware of the ongoing situation and has made

me understand more about the topic the author is trying to discuss. In addition, the experiment conducted

by the researchers and the data gathered proved to help me realize how people can perceive police

bodycam footage differently with and without the audio present. In my opinion, the experiment reinforced

the author's argument and provided the reader with valid, useful information to further support the

author's main idea.

All in all, I truly believe police brutality is a real issue modern-day society has not been able to

solve and will continue to be one of the biggest issues The United States will face for years to come. I

believe police officers using both microphones and bodycams can better help justify whether or not the

officer was in the wrong when responding to a crime scene and can clear the confusion that may arise in

court.
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Citations

Balko, R. (2017, February 8). 80 percent of Chicago PD dash-cam videos are missing audio due to

“officer error” or “intentional destruction.” Washington Post. Retrieved from

https://www.washingtonpost.com/

news/the-watch/wp/2016/01/29/80-percent-of-chicago-pd-dash-camvideos-are-missing-audio-due-to-offic

er-error-or-intentional-destruction
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