美国执法记录仪相关法律制度探究

Legal System Related to the Use of Body-worn Cameras by American Police

近年来执法记录仪在美国警务领域推广迅速,执法记录仪在提升警察执法规范化、促进警察和公众文明互动、促进证据利益等方面具有积极作用,但是也存在威胁隐私、造成财政负担等副作用。关于执法记录仪使用的法律制度尚有待完善,执法记录仪的使用与宪法第四修正案及隐私保护的要求之间尚存在差距,何时使用执法记录仪、执法记录视频如何披露与管理、与隐私保护之间如何平衡等问题尚待解决。梳理美国警察使用执法记录仪的有关法律制度,可为我国公安机关现场执法视音频记录法律制度的完善提供借鉴。

In recent years,body-worn cameras are getting popular in police departments of America.Although the use of police body-worn cameras has positive effects in standardizing police law-enforcement activities,facilitating civilized interaction between police officers and the public,and promoting the interests of evidence,it also has side effects such as posing a threat to personal privacy and increasing the financial burden.The legal system for the use of body-worn cameras needs to be improved;there still exist a gap between the use of body-worn cameras and privacy protection required by the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution and other laws;the problems such as when and how to use body-worn cameras,how to disclose and manage the videos captured by body-worn cameras,and how to balance the use of body-worn cameras with privacy protection still remain unsolved.Studying relevant laws,regulations,and policies on the use of police body-worn cameras in America will provide reference for the perfection of China’s legal system related to police officers’ use of audio and visual recording in on-the-spot law enforcement.