Body cameras can prevent mistreatment

Ivan Slotsky, Princeton 
To the editor:
The massive public reaction to the tragic deaths of three black teens at the hand of white police officers has led to a national call for use of bodycameras to record and prevent any future mistreatment of suspects.
There is ample precedent. Animal protection activists have used body camerasto document egregious atrocities and safety violations by workers in themeat, dairy and egg industries. The resulting videos have led to a numberof corrective actions, as well as felony convictions, meat recalls, and evena $500 million civil settlement.
How ironic then that agribusiness interests in seven states (Idaho, Iowa,Kansas, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, and Utah) have now enacted "ag-gag"laws imposing severe penalties for using body cameras in their agriculturalfacilities. The language is typically drafted by the anti-consumer AmericanLegislative Exchange Council (ALEC).
Let’s hope that other vested interests do not impose similar restrictions onthe use of body cameras by law enforcement officers.