What is the primary purpose of body-worn cameras in policing?

• A. To reduce transparency and accountability
• B. To increase transparency, accountability, and accuracy of recorded encounters
• C. To monitor officer fitness
• D. To collect data for unrelated research

Answer: (B)

Body-worn cameras are meant to create an objective record of police–public encounters. By capturing video and audio, they provide a verifiable account of what happened, which supports investigations, court reviews, and policy improvements. This tangible record enhances transparency by showing events as they unfolded, strengthens accountability by allowing review of officer actions, and improves accuracy by making it possible to replay and analyze details that memory alone might miss. They are not primarily used to monitor officer fitness or to gather data for unrelated research, and they do not aim to reduce transparency; their core purpose is to promote openness, responsibility, and precise documentation of encounters.