Introduction

Joshua Lott for The New York Times

When a federal judge ordered changes to New York City’s “stop-and-frisk” tactic earlier this year, she also required that the police department experiment with putting cameras on officers to record street encounters. Police officers have been divided on this approach: some advocate the cameras, while others have qualms. Civil libertarians are also ambivalent.

Should police officers be required to wear cameras that record their interactions with the public? What would be the benefits, and what are the risks?