Body Cam Footage Forces Maryland Courts to Throw Out 34 Drug-Related Cases

Not too long ago, we touched upon the concept of using artificial intelligence for police body cameras. Although that idea is still very controversial, police body cams can also be used to defend against crimes committed by law enforcement officials. So far, 34 different court cases have been thrown out as body cam footage showed that cops had planted drugs. Technology works both ways.

Cop Crimes Are Filmed With Body Cams Too

It is interesting to see how body cameras are used these days. While body cams are not something consumers will wear anytime soon, they can certainly work in their favor. These small cameras record everything they see, including illegal activity by cops. This was the case recently in the U.S. state of Maryland as prosecutors found themselves in a bit of an awkward situation.

Prosecutors were forced to revisit 34 different cases involving the growth of marijuana plants. As it turns out, all of those criminal cases had to be tossed out after video evidence showed cops were the ones responsible for planting the drugs at specific locations. Trying to frame innocent citizens for these crimes is absolutely unacceptable. It remains to be seen if any action will be undertaken against the parties responsible.

In total, 123 cases are still under review. All of these cases involve body cam footage which may bring the true culprits to light. One particular police officer has been suspended and two others have been demoted to administrative duties for their involvement in planting drugs. According to the evidence, the officers were unaware that their body cams were filming the activity at that moment. This still does not explain why they plant cannabis in alleys throughout the city.

It is good to see the affected cases being dismissed so quickly, since the credibility of the officers in question is now in serious jeopardy. Tampering with evidence and falsifying accusations could lead to jail time, regardless of the perpetrators’ status as police officers. Some cases will stand nonetheless due to independent corroborative evidence. There is a serious trust issue between citizens and police officials in Maryland right now.

It will be interesting to see how these body cams will continue to evolve over the coming years. Combining this technology with artificial intelligence will undoubtedly bring more abuse by law enforcement officials to light in the future. Contrary to what the media wants you to believe, like any other human beings, police officers are not free from corruption. Pairing body cams with AI could yield some very surprising and worrisome results, by the looks of things.

Another body cam incident took place in the state of Colorado. One man successfully filed for a $110,000 compensation after body cam footage showed he had been tasered in the back by police officers. Law enforcement has a tendency to use unnecessary force or to do things that cannot be warranted under any circumstance. Situations like these will not restore the public’s faith in law enforcement.