Every day the evidence grows for the reduction in police abuse-of-force complaints and the overall sense of success when police departments add body-worn video surveillance cameras to the individual officers.
From New Your City to Rialto, CA (see related article) the risk management and liability exposure to police departments is driving the adoption of this technology.
According to a study sponsored by the International Association of Chiefs of Police, 93% of police-misconduct cases in which video is available result in the officer?s exoneration; 50% of complaints are immediately withdrawn when video evidence is used; while 94% of citizens support the use of video.
Check out some of the available products and manufacturers for these body-worn video cameras.
Coptrax and Google Glass
Stalker launched a solution that integrates Google Glass and dashcams with a software called Coptrax. From the web interface a person can see the locations of every officer on a map and view dashcam video remotely. The video can be stored on local servers or the cloud. The officer can switch from recording from dashcam to Google Glass when exiting his vehicle. They can also set zones and locations of interest that send the officer proximity alerts. The system uses a 3G/4G cellular connection and video is uploaded to the cloud or server using 3G or 4G. Although the cost of the entire Coptrax system starts at $4,495 this includes the complete in-car system and software. The Google Glass glasses must be bought separately.
http://www.coptrax.net/
Panasonic Wearable
Panasonic’s wearable camera rings in at the higher end of the price scale yet also delivers the most feature rich unit. The cost is around $1,000 and is the only body camera to have a 180 degree lens. Instead of an internal battery like most other body cameras, Panasonic uses an interchangeable external battery pack. It was the only wearable camera offering that claimed five hours of recording time and as much as a 90 second pre-record period. It was also they only body camera with gyro compensation and image stabilization that wasn’t done with software.
Panasonic Wearable
VIEVU Body Worn Video
VIEVU BWV cameras are about the size of a pager and easily clip onto an officer?s lapel or belt, making it efficient for officers to video and record ALL their actions. Video is secured and authenticated for court use, while a chain of evidence logs and tracks who accesses the video and what they do with it.
All VIEVU body worn video cameras come with VERIPATROL?, a secure video file management system which includes several layers of security protection to ensure chain of custody and evidence protection. Officers cannot access much less edit the video; only department-assigned software administrators can do that. Additional security prevents unauthorized access if the camera is lost or stolen.
VIEVU BWV
Taser AXON Flex
No other officer-worn camera solution on the market today offers more mounting options than the AXON Flex. This end-to-end solution is designed with a history of partnerships with police departments around the globe. AXON Flex video paired with evidence.com services provides agencies with a simple to use system to manage their data. TASER? is the only brand of its kind with a presence in more than 100 countries and 16,500 law enforcement agencies.
Taser Axon Flex
Reveal Media
Reveal Media’s body cameras has a color screen for playback. It offers 1080p, 720p, and 480p recording at 30fps and H.264 compression. The prices range from $599 to $899 for camera plus software depending on the model and additional features, such as a rotating lens or HD video.
Reveal Media
Wolfcom Vision
Wolfcom Vision makes a wearable camera they claim is “the first body camera with night vision.” Prices start at $399. It can takes pictures or 1080p video at 60fps with a 120 degree field-of-view lens. This unit has a screen for playback and allows an officer to watch video he’s taken on the scene. The screen also allows officers to use the camera to look around corners and a model with IR illuminators assists with viewing into dark rooms. This camera has a 30-second pre-record period. It uses 32GB internal storage, weighs 2.2 ounces and purposrts to record 17 hours of video.
Wolfcom Vision
Bodycam
Bodycam’s solution also claims it can peer into dark surroundings using integrated IR that it works up to 30 feet. The cost is $300 and It comes with an 8GB SD card which allows for three hours of recording at 1080p. Bodycam says the battery will support four hours of continuous recording and 120 hours of standby.
Bodycam
Vid-Shield
The Vid-Shield is of the most robust units we have found. Designed specifically for law enforcement or individuals that need to video & audio document their activities. The body worn camcorder records in true 1080P HD providing quality video imagery. The Vid-Shield also has night vision capabilities for video and still photos.
Vid-shield clips to a police uniform to record the actions of the police officer and the suspects. Video evidence is captured to confirm and document activity for evidentiary purposes.
The Vid-Shield Police body video camera not only records in high definition but
also shoots 12-Megapixel still images equivalent to the quality digital cameras. The Vid-Shield has time/date-stamp embedded into video and photos and cannot be tampered. The entire body worn/wearable police video camera is water proof (IP67 standard)
and easily cleaned. The video camera records to Micro SD cards.
Vid-Shield
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