Police officers are welcoming the ability to “show our view and our side of what’s going on,” according to a San Jose officer testing out a new head-mounted video camera. High-resolution digital video offers clearer audio/visual evidence than the often grainy cell phone videos used to incriminate police officers.  The quality of evidence from digital in-car cameras, even set at the lowest resolution, compression and frame rate, are still better than most cell phones and VHS tapes.

A 2008 white paper from Larstan Business Reports (commissioned by Panasonic) explored digital in-car video for police officers and the enhanced security and broadened scope of information they provide.  Using Panasonic’s Arbitrator 360° system, police dispatchers can monitor each patrol car from headquarters, and in turn quickly spot when an officer is in need of support. Dispatchers can even zoom and increase the frames-per-second remotely to enhance video details.

Agencies using the Arbitrator 360° can activate up to 16 triggers to automatically start video recording, such as when the speedometer hits a certain speed, the sirens turn on, car doors open or impact is detected. This allows officers to focus all their attention outside the vehicle, knowing that evidence is being captured without their direct involvement.

To help eliminate room for interpretation in courtroom proceedings, police departments should seek to capture the clearest and most comprehensive picture of their activities.  By developing the most advanced digital video technology and secure evidence management, Panasonic strives to increase transparency and provide unambiguous evidence for the courtroom.

Live video streaming capabilities are built in to the Arbitrator 360° as an additional safety feature. Police dispatchers can now monitor what’s happening in each patrol car from headquarters.  If an officer is in trouble, such as an altercation during a traffic stop, the dispatcher can remotely zoom the camera for a better picture, or change the frames-per-second bit rate for more details.

The Lincoln (NE) Police Department has been testing the new Arbitrator 360°, and was pleased with the results.

“The Toughbook Arbitrator 360° has given us a true end-to-end solution for not just recording video, but storing, organizing and accessing video, as well,” said Sergeant Todd Beam, Lincoln Police Department. “In addition, we quickly realized the benefits of deploying multiple in-car cameras by disproving an internal affairs complaint using evidence captured on a rear-facing camera. From our perspective, a room full of DVDs is no better than a room full of VHS tapes, so the ability to manage and transfer all video evidence digitally is a huge bonus. Our patrol officers found the Arbitrator 360° software interface very easy to use, and were up and running with very minimal training.”

See below for a video demonstrating how police departments are using the Arbitrator 360°, and visit the Toughbook Web site for more information on the product.