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Monday, March 16, 2009
Ind. Courts - "Hebron police getting high-tech cameras for cars"
Phil Wieland reports today in the NWI Times:
The department is getting cameras for each of its eight squad cars through a $50,000 federal grant obtained by Rep. Pete Visclosky, D-Ind. Police Chief Steve Sibbrell said the check hasn't arrived yet, but the department already is testing a model of the cameras he intends to buy.After examining at least 10 different makes of camera equipment, Sibbrell settled on Digital Ally, of Overland Park, Kan. It will cost $4,595 to equip each squad car, not including an installation fee, but Sibbrell said he thinks it will be well worth the investment. * * *
One camera replaces the inside rear view mirror and allows the officer to film what's going on in the back seat and behind the squad. It acts just like a rear view mirror, but it also has a 3 1/2-inch square monitor, which can be turned off. A separate camera is mounted on the dashboard to record what's happening in front of the car.
The action is recorded on a solid state digital card. If the officer turns on squad's flashing lights, the system automatically saves everything beginning from 30 seconds before the lights were turned on. If the officer is in an accident, the video record is preserved from 60 seconds prior to the impact.
The camera and the officer both are equipped with wireless microphones, which also trigger the save mode when activated, and the officer can activate the recorder to save the information on his own.
In the version to be bought when the grant arrives, the officer can pull up next to the station and automatically download all the recorded information through a wireless connection without ever leaving the car. It is downloaded to a computer, and only one person has access to it to prevent anyone from tampering with the information.
Posted by Marcia Oddi on March 16, 2009 01:48 PM
Posted to Indiana Courts