The misery in Ferguson, Missouri seems like the last place the tech industry could step in to help. But that's wrong. There's something tech could do to help bring America together, to do some small bit to heal and solve these very real divisions: body cameras, now.

Body cameras worn by officers – basically, GoPros – verify police activity. It's sad that we need them, because it means the police (who should be part of our community, sworn to defend and protect) aren't trusted. But they aren't, in much of America. We need to rebuild that trust.

So body cameras are becoming more popular. Cameras are spreading across Florida, according to the Orlando Sentinel. Baltimore's city council just voted for cameras. Cleveland voted for cameras, but apparently the administration is dragging its feet. According to the Police Foundation, citizen complaints against police in Rialto, California dropped 80 percent after body cameras were introduced.

Privacy shouldn't be an issue here. The cameras get turned on when cops are on duty. They get turned off when they're off duty. This isn't the panopticon. It's a tool to restore trust. In places where the police are helpful and good, it will record those actions, too. Good cops generally like these cameras, once they get used to them.

Body cameras aren't just for reviewing events after the fact. They're a superego in stressful situations. They remind police that even in the heat of the moment, they have the power and they have the responsibility. They are the representatives of the state, duly sworn and armed. They need to be the good guys. Cameras help them be the good guys.

We don't have to lean on contradictory eyewitnesses or hope somebody is recording a shaky cell-phone video to protect ourselves against these abuses of power. We have the technology. Let's implement it.

Disrupt Fear

Do you want to disrupt something, Silicon Valley? Disrupt fear. Disrupt distrust. Disrupt confusion.

Is cost a problem? Let's find someone in tech willing to step forward and say, here are all the body cameras you need. Let cost and availability be no barrier to justice. If police departments want to oppose body cameras because they feel they need to do dirty deeds in private, let's make the discussion about that.

Beyond that, let's have the disruptors of tech offer up organizational support and political clout behind making this happen. Help create and push through sample municipal laws to enable camera use, where necessary. Put up billboards; sponsor advertisements. Tell smaller cities that your startup won't open up in their town unless you feel safe there, and safety means body cameras. The tech world is filled with people who are used to moving aggressively and efficiently, with a mission.

The tech world is also full of powerful philanthropists and foundations that can help. Bill Gates has pledged to give much of his wealth to charity. Andreesen Horowitz and Mark Zuckerberg signed on as well, at least in spirit. Helping cities implement cameras could have both a local and national impact; the Bay Area isn't immune to problems with police, as anyone who's ever read about Oakland can tell you.

Over the past few months, there's been a lot of complaining on the Internet about "social justice warriors," like that's a bad thing. I grew up with the Justice League, and with "truth, justice, and the American way." If you're not a warrior for justice, you're on the wrong side. Tech needs to pick a side. Body cameras now.

Further Reading

Video Camera Reviews