The White House on Thursday defended President Obama’s call for additional spending to put more body cameras on police officers, even though video did little to prevent a chokehold death caused during an arrest in New York City.
“There are some scientific studies that indicate that body cameras do have an impact,” White House press secretary Josh Earnest said.
Obama’s top spokesman added that police officers act differently “if they know they are being filmed.”
Obama is pressing Congress for roughly $75 million in funding to equip up to 50,000 police officers with body cameras.
Lawmakers have called for the use of such cameras in the wake of the police shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo.
But with the New York City killing of Eric Garner captured by videotape, albeit not by a police camera, some have questioned whether the technology would stop similar incidents.
For his part, Earnest said body cameras would enhance the security of both ordinary citizens and law enforcement personnel.
