Discussion Starters

Police Body Cameras

“Whenever you do a thing,
act as if the whole world
were watching.” —Thomas Jefferson

Pre-Reading
A. Warm-Up Questions

1. What is police brutality?

2. Why are some police departments

testing out body cameras?

3. How might body cameras benefit civilians?

4. What concerns might civilians

have about police body cameras?

B. Vocabulary Preview

Match the words on the left with the correct meanings on the right.

1. brutality a) more than normal or necessary

2. transparency b) documentation of an event that can be seen and/or heard
3. accountable c) harsh physical violence
4. excess d) done to oneself, not done or caused by others
5. civilian e) carefulness that usually involves keeping something private
6. citation f) available entry
7. footage g) the state of being open and available for all to see, not secretive
8. self-inflicted h) to release something that should be contained
9. hostile i) responsible for one’s personal actions (especially failures)
10. discretion j) an everyday person who is not part of a police force or army
11. access (noun) k) a ticket or court order related to breaking a law
12. leak l) unfriendly, filled with conflict

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 Police Body Cameras
Discussion Starters

Reading
POLICE BODY CAMER AS
Increasing transparency or violating privacy?

1. Mobile phones are used by everyday people to capture crimes

as they happen. Occasionally, the bad guys are in uniform. In recent
years, a series of highly publicized cases of police brutality and
racial discrimination have given some police departments a bad
reputation. To rebuild the public’s trust and increase transparency
in law enforcement, some departments have added body cameras
to their uniforms.

2. Early findings suggest that body cameras make police officers more
accountable for their conduct. When cameras are rolling, officers are
more likely to follow police procedures and less likely to use excess
force. These police are also less likely to use weapons or have physical
contact with civilians. Another key finding is that cameras reduce the
rate of arrests and citations. As a result, police departments receive
fewer public complaints about police conduct.

3. Many police officers have welcomed this addition to their uniforms.

Video footage can be used in court to back up a police officer’s
testimony. Cameras have been particularly useful in cases of domestic
violence, since victims often change their stories by the time a court
date rolls around. Video footage can also clear officers of fault. A video
can confirm that a civilian’s gunshot wounds were self-inflicted or that
a police officer acted in self-defense. Criminals are also more likely to
plead guilty when video evidence is submitted in court.

4. While police departments have been quick to publicize video footage

of officers exhibiting courage and restraint in hostile situations,
skeptical civilians fear that negative footage will never come to light.
Would a police chief turn over video evidence that might lead to an Idioms
officer being charged with murder? Also, what will stop officers from come to light:
turning cameras off at their own discretion? to be exposed for all to see

5. Some citizens are also concerned about privacy. Innocent bystanders, keep under wraps:
including minors, may be videotaped unexpectedly. A civilian may be to remain private or secret
inadequately dressed or recorded at a location that they had hoped to
keep under wraps. Who has access to this footage, and how long is this
private information stored? What happens if the footage is accidentally
leaked to the public?

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 Police Body Cameras
Discussion Starters

Comprehension
Discuss these questions in pairs, and write the answers in your notebook.

1. What do mobile phones have to do with police body cameras?

2. What reason do police departments have for

adding body cameras to police uniforms?

3. What do early findings suggest about the

effect of body cameras on police conduct?

4. How can body cameras be beneficial to police?

5. Why are some civilians skeptical about the benefits of body cameras?

Vocabulary Review
Look at the list of words below and try to make collocations.
Collocations are words that are typically written or said together.

1. police brutality
Word List:
2.
• police • reputation
3. • bad • accountable
4. • face • brutality
• held • wounds
5. • plead • guilty
6. • innocent • trust
• self-inflicted • bystander
7. • build • scrutiny
8.

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 Police Body Cameras
Discussion Starters

Excess Vs. Access

A. Confusing Words

The words excess and access are commonly confused words.

These words look and sound similar but have very different meanings.

Excess / Excessive Access

The word excess can be used as an attributive noun The word access can be a noun or a verb.
that means more than necessary. An attributive noun is
one that can function as an adjective before a noun. As a verb, it means to gain entry to something.
• The police used excess force. • I can’t access his file.

The word excess can also be used on its own without As a noun, access means the gained entrance.
modifying a noun. It refers to the unnecessary part.
• The police used tear gas to
• Cut off the excess. gain access to the premises.

The adjective excessive also means more than

necessary. It often translates to extravagant or over
the top. Unlike excess, it can be used after the Be verb.

• Their use of force was excessive.

B. Choose the Correct Word

Choose the word or phrase that best completes the sentence.

1. The make-up on that 3. There was an 5. You’ll need your room key
woman was a bit . of salt in the sauce. to the swimming pool.

a) excess a) excess a) excessive

b) access b) access b) excess
c) excessive c) excessive c) access

2. We can’t the 4. You will have to pay for your 6. Trim the before you
premises without a warrant. baggage. Your luggage start sewing. There is a lot
is five pounds overweight. of extra material there.
a) excess
b) excessive a) access a) excessive
c) access b) excess b) excess
c) excessive c) access

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 Police Body Cameras
Discussion Starters

Agreeing & Disagreeing Discussion

Read the statements to your partner. Does your partner agree or disagree?
Questions
Paraphrase your partner’s response in the space provided. Use verbs such
1. Is discrimination by police
as feel, believe, think, say, and suggest to report your partner’s opinions.
a problem in your community?
If yes, in what way?
1. Most police officers are trustworthy and fair.
If no, why not?
Elena strongly agrees. She feels that police officers in her neighborhood
2. T
 he financial cost of equipping
care about young people and want to protect her community. police forces with body cams is
significant. Some people even
argue that it is excessive. Do
you think the costs are worth
2. T
 hroughout the day, an officer should be able to
the benefits?
turn a body camera on or off at his or her own discretion.
3. D
 o you consider police
cams a violation of privacy?
What other types of cameras
in your community are you
concerned about?

3. M
 y city streets would be safer if every police officer 4. W
 hat would happen if police
arrested more people and gave more citations. body cameras recorded
randomly and police officers
and civilians didn’t know if they
were being recorded or not?

4. T
 oo many people complain about police officers.
Police officers deserve more credit for their brave work. Agreement
STRONG, WEAK,
OR HESITANT?

• I vehemently disagree.
• I strongly disagree.
• I have mixed feelings.
• I agree to some extent.
5. Body cameras will benefit police officers more than civilians. • I agree for the most part.
• I agree.
• I strongly agree.

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 Police Body Cameras
Discussion Starters

Listening – Gap Fill

 http://blog.esllibrary.com/2016/01/27/podcast-police-body-cams/

Fill in the blanks as you listen to the recording.

POLICE BODY CAMER AS

Increasing transparency or violating privacy?

1. Mobile phones are used by everyday people to 4. While police departments have been
capture crimes as they happen. Occasionally, quick to publicize video footage of
the bad guys are in uniform. In recent years, officers exhibiting courage and restraint
a series of highly publicized cases of police in situations, skeptical civilians
and racial discrimination fear that negative footage will never come to light.
have given some police departments a bad Would a police chief turn over video evidence
reputation. To rebuild the public’s trust and that might lead to an officer being charged with
increase in law enforcement, murder? Also, what will stop officers from turning
some departments have added body cameras cameras off at their own ?
to their uniforms.
5. Some citizens are also concerned about privacy.
2. Early findings suggest that body cameras make Innocent bystanders, including minors, may
police officers more for their be videotaped unexpectedly. A civilian may be
conduct. When cameras are rolling, officers are inadequately dressed or recorded at a location
more likely to follow police procedures and less that they had hoped to keep under wraps. Who
likely to use force. These police has to this footage, and how
are also less likely to use weapons or have physical long is this private information stored? What
contact with . Another key happens if the footage is accidentally
finding is that cameras reduce the rate of arrests to the public?
and . As a result,
police departments receive fewer
public complaints about police conduct.

3. Many police officers have welcomed this addition

to their uniforms. Video can
be used in court to back up a police officer’s
testimony. Cameras have been particularly useful
in cases of domestic violence, since victims often
change their stories by the time a court date rolls
around. Video footage can also clear officers of 5. access, leaked
fault. A video can confirm that a civilian’s gunshot 4. hostile, discretion
wounds were or that a police 3. footage, self-inflicted
officer acted in self-defense. Criminals are also 2. accountable, excess, civilians, citations
more likely to plead guilty when video evidence 1. brutality, transparency
is submitted in court.
ANSWERS:

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 Police Body Cameras
Discussion Starters

Answer Key
LESSON DESCRIPTION: TEACHING TIPS: LEVEL: Advanced

In this lesson, advanced learners read
about why some police departments
are adding body cams to their uniforms.
Students practice agreeing and disagreeing
and reporting the opinions of others.
See Discussion Starters Teaching Guide TIME: 1.5–2 hours
(https://esllibrary.com/courses/72/lessons/)
TAGS: discussion, police, body cameras,
for a variety of ways to use the reading.
militarized police, discrimination,
Audio is available for this lesson. Students can
race, court, law, privacy,
access the audio via our podcast and iTunes.
collocations, reported speech,
agreeing and disagreeing

Pre-Reading Comprehension

A. WARM-UP QUESTIONS 1. Everyday people use mobile phones to capture crime

in action. Sometimes they catch police officers engaging
Have students work in small groups or as a class. Discuss the quote.
in criminal conduct. Police departments need to
You may also want to discuss why “were” instead of “was” is used in
regain the public’s trust and improve transparency.
this quote. Review our blog post, Tips for Teaching the Subjunctive:
2. Police officers who wear body cams are more
http://blog.esllibrary.com/2013/05/02/tips-for-teaching-the-
likely to be held accountable for their conduct.
subjunctive/
3. Early reports suggest police officers are less physical
and are less likely to use a weapon when wearing a body
B. VOCABULARY PREVIEW
camera. They are more likely to follow police procedures
1. c 3. i 5. j 7. b 9. l 11. f and less likely to arrest people or hand out tickets.
2. g 4. a 6. k 8. d 10. e 12. h 4. Body cameras are beneficial to police because they provide
evidence that backs up police testimony in court. Criminals
Reading (and/or Listening) are more likely to admit to guilt when there is video evidence.
5. Some civilians feel that police departments will
Read individually, in small groups, or as a class. You can also play only release positive video footage. They fear
the listening as your students read along. A gap-fill version of the that negative footage will rarely come to light.
reading is available on page 6. Help your students with vocabulary
and expressions that they are unfamiliar with. Vocabulary Review

• police brutality • plead guilty

• bad reputation • innocent bystander
• face scrutiny • self-inflicted wound
• held accountable • build trust

(continued on the next page...)

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 Police Body Cameras
Discussion Starters

Answer Key cont.

Excess Vs. Access SPELLING NOTE:

This lesson shows the American spelling of the word

A. CONFUSING WORDS Neighborhood. Most other English-speaking countries spell

Review the difference between excess and access and have your it this way: Neighbourhood. Make it a challenge for your

students practice the pronunciation to make sure that they are students to find this word in the lesson and see if they

making a clear distinction between these two words. know the alternate spelling.

Note that before a noun, excess and excessive are grammatically

interchangeable, though excess usually refers to surplus while
excessive refers to extravagance.

• They used excess force. / They used excessive force.

• Excess baggage costs $25.00. / Excessive jewelry looks terrible.

B. CHOOSE THE CORRECT WORD

1. c 2. c 3. a 4. b 5. c 6. b

Agreeing & Disagreeing

Answers will vary. If your students need to practice reported

speech, check out our Grammar Practice Worksheets lesson
on Direct and Reported Speech. You may also want to review
our editor’s post on Say Vs. Tell & Other Speaking Verbs:
http://blog.esllibrary.com/2016/01/21/say-vs-tell-and-other-
speaking-verbs/

Discussion Questions

Answers will vary.

Can be done individually or in small groups or pairs.

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