Poll: Cameras aren’t making politicians behave

People are not convinced that politicians are behaving any better because of the ubiquity of video recorders on smartphones. 

A Reuters-Ipsos poll released Friday found 50 percent disagreed that the threat of being caught on camera has made politicians better behaved. Another 33 percent believed it has, while 17 percent were unsure. 

{mosads}Average people recording politicians, surreptitiously or otherwise, has produced major stories in past years. Former GOP candidate Mitt Romney’s 47 percent comment was secretly recorded at a private fundraiser and put a major hitch in his campaign. 

Just this week, Freshman Rep. Steve Knight (R-Calif.) was caught on camera warning a protester, “If you touch me again, I’ll drop your ass,” after the protester patted him on the shoulder. The video shows at least one other person recording the entire incident on his smartphone. 

A similar breakdown of people believe police officers do not behave any better because they can be filmed. However, people were divided — 42 percent on each side — when asked whether “recent events caught on video” will make officers behave better. 

Videos that have surfaced of police abuse have caught national attention recently. A South Carolina officer was charged with murder after amateur video showed the officer shooting Walter Scott while he was running away. 

People did not agree that they feel safer with the ubiquity of cameras, but a majority did like that camera phones are making everyone more accountable for their actions. 

Forty-seven percent said constant recording on a smartphone is an invasion of privacy, while 39 percent disagreed. 

The online poll surveyed 2,446 adults in the United States from April 10-17.