Body-worn cameras could police the police, but still it’s the officer pressing ‘record’
Daily Maverick | 25.08.2026 04:55
Police wield extraordinary power over citizens. In a democracy, this rests on a critical deal: we grant police special powers, a monopoly on lawful violence and the tools to exercise them. In return, they protect us. But every deal comes with conditions. The conditions are simple: safeguards against abuse and accountability when those safeguards fail. Every new tool the police procure revisits the deal and ultimately reduces to the same fundamental question: who governs its use?
