Leave it to Bixby to one-up our camera-shy TPD:
(BIXBY, Okla.) February 22. High-speed chases, drivers running stop signs, and dozens of other crimes all caught on tape, and all thanks to wireless technology now in Bixby Police cars.
http://www.fox23.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=b612b589-4be8-4ba8-86ff-8bc1bb4ba777
With most police cars, you're used to seeing or hearing about the police video of a car chase or when the officer makes a stop, but now cameras inside are not only recording the officer in action, they can actually record 30 seconds before the officer sets in to record.
With the flip of a switch or a push on the gas these cameras are in action. It's a way Bixby Police are traveling back in time to catch what they normally wouldn't or couldn't record.
"You're going to be able to see what the suspect was doing or that car was doing 30 seconds before that officer made contact or initiated that contact."
After recording the image, the camera transmits it back to a tower at the police department. Captain Kite says although the cameras were meant to catch people breaking the law it's been a great tool to evaluate officers.
TPD is not camera shy but the City of Tulsa is money shy.
Cameras were installed in police cars after Ofc. Gus Spanos died in the line of duty. Officers were glad to have them. However, few years after they were first purchased, the city decided that the cameras were to expensive to operate and maintain. As a result the city stopped putting cameras in police cars.
Over $400,000 was spent on in-car cameras in an attempt to outfit most Tulsa Police cars. Very few are still in operation, if any at all, because their maintenance was a nightmare. Granted, this was before most systems went digital, but to have that type of technology bouncing around in a car all day creates maintenance and longevity problems.
The newer technology of the 'tivo' type, which goes back and starts recording prior to the officer hitting the record button is very nice.
Most of the current systems, which have these 'tivo features, are $5000+ each.
quote:
Originally posted by Wilbur
Over $400,000 was spent on in-car cameras in an attempt to outfit most Tulsa Police cars. Very few are still in operation, if any at all, because their maintenance was a nightmare.
A friend who used to work in the maintenance garage said most of the malfunctions were due to tampering. I got the feeling not everyone was enthusiastic about dashcam cameras, but it seems it's a tool that has the potential to do more good than harm.
I gather that (with Bixby's L3 system) the recording is actually done at the police station, which makes it less likely a suspect might eliminate evidence if he overpowered the officer.
A friend who used to work in the maintenance garage said most of the malfunctions were due to tampering. I got the feeling not everyone was enthusiastic about dashcam cameras, but it seems it's a tool that has the potential to do more good than harm.
I gather that (with Bixby's L3 system) the recording is actually done at the police station, which makes it less likely a suspect might eliminate evidence if he overpowered the officer.
I'm extremely doubtful on both items. The systems that were in place were camcorders and display screens. Not much to tamper with. Those analog systems were not ruggedized enough to handle constant use in a car. Technology has improved significantly since then, but there is still a maintenance problem. Tulsa has tested several more brands since the original purchase, and maintenance is still the issue (mostly hard drive failures).
And I am confident Bixby is not recording everything back in their station. That would require a wireless system, which I don't believe they have. Only Tulsa and BA are currently using wireless systems in this part of the state (although, not for camera use).
quote:
Originally posted by Wilbur
I am confident Bixby is not recording everything back in their station. That would require a wireless system, which I don't believe they have.
What would you interpreting "the camera transmits it back to a tower at the police department" to mean? The report showed a pretty clear photo of a squadcar-mounted microwave antenna to boot.
Officers testing dash cams
http://www.fox23.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=7d9ff368-72c1-46d6-a088-0f83fe002eaa
'(EAST TULSA, Okla.) May 23 - We've all seen the video, officers nearly hit by cars and drunk drivers caught in the act.
Dash cameras are a crime fighting tool used nationwide except here in Tulsa. The Tulsa Police Department does not use dashboard cameras.
Officers are hoping to change this, though. Four officers are testing cameras.
When an officer hits the switch to activate his lights or presses the record button, the camera goes back 45 seconds in time and starts recording from there.
The video is then transmitted to a receiver, saving what could be incriminating evidence.
Officer Harold Goad has one of the cameras in his car. “It's another tool we can use, hopefully to do our jobs and do it as well as we can.�
Goad has only had the camera for a month and already it's helped him clear a false report. “If you have video, very few people argue with video.�
But that's just a small use for the camera. Everything recorded can be used in a courtroom.
That means a lot to Liz Gifford, whose son was killed by a drunk driver. His picture hangs on the wall at the Mother's Against Drunk Driving office.
Gifford knows more than anyone what drunk drivers will say in the courtroom to avoid jail time. “I've seen them and I've heard them and it's unfortunate.�
After the officers get about 90 days with the cameras, they'll submit a report to the department and then it will be up to the mayor to decide whether to buy the cameras.
They cost around $5,500 a piece.
Officers will also test cameras from a different company, so the city will have options.
Officers hope to see cameras placed in 200 patrol cars. At one point, 150 officers had cameras in their cars. Over time, the cameras got worn out and the city did not have the money to replace them.'
Yeah, worn out [;)]
Video of this story: http://www.fox23.com/mediacenter/default.aspx?videoId=20362
I'm making the call now. The city will never pay for them to be in the police cars.
Is your bet that none of the 796 police vehicles will have a camera? You are on.
No. We already have four installed. D'uh![:D]
I'll set the over/under at 100. The city would have to commit approx. $550,000.00(start-up money)to the project. I don't think they will do it. I think they will say they have higher priorities.
They may do a few for publicity but I don't think they will fund more than 100 patrol units to have cameras.
It would be nice to be wrong on this one.
I'll take MH's side on this bet. They'll put a couple out there to get some strokes from the media, but not enough to make any impact. And for $5000 who can blame them. I could put a laptop in their trunk with shock proofed 500 gig HD and a wireless cam on the dash for a very small fraction of that cost! This is just like equipment used in telemedicine. You put the word medical in front of it and multiply the necessary retail price by ten. I think it is time for a couple of tech tinkerers to start a business!
Can't we just duct tape an old super8 camera to the rearview mirror?
If Tulsa goes with the L3 system they better be prepared to spend several million at start up.
This system requires small towers in strategic locations for the wireless transfers plus computer equipment to store the massive amount of data and to record disc for court. These are the big ticket items and there are other small things that will be needed to keep the system going.
They will also need a small army of tech guys who really know their stuff or a large army of tech guys who think they know their stuff to keep this system up and running.
I don't see how this is feasible for a large department to put cameras in every vehicle and abide by a policy written by people who have little or no experience with this type of technology.
It is very expensive and the city will have little to benefit from it.
quote:
Originally posted by Wilbur
I gather that (with Bixby's L3 system) the recording is actually done at the police station.
No, the system records in the unit then transfers via a wireless network.
quote:
Originally posted by BenTenner
If Tulsa goes with the L3 system they better be prepared to spend several million at start up.
BT's and JNE make good points, in that dealing with a big defense contractor we could be buying the equivalent of $400 toilet seats.
Where's our Oklahoma entrepreneurs when you need them?
If I were building a dashcam system from the ground up, all but the camera, control head and antenna would be sealed in a crash-resistant "black box". It would record continuously even while segments are played back in the field (tivo-like access), and would use the existing GSM network (think AT&T wireless) to offload recordings in quick bursts to the police video mainframe for preservation.
More functionality at less cost than going to an arms merchant. ...maybe we can build them at the SkyCam plant in BA...[:)]
Not exactly live, but a start:
http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectID=11&articleID=20080207_1_A1_hJohn05764
Councilor John Eagleton said this week he will push for video cameras in Tulsa police cars when he can make a compelling case that they would end up saving the city money.
"I think cameras would cut down on lawsuits and serve as compelling evidence in a high-speed chase or when an officer observes an accident."
Eagleton, who also has been pressing to implement an electronic ticketing system, sponsored a presentation for the council about a digital video system made by International Police Technologies.
The local company has loaned four of its VisionHawk camera units to the Tulsa Police Department, which is testing them out of its Uniform Division East.
The systems are mounted on the interior ceilings of police cars and have front and back cameras with full audio. Data is automatically downloaded to a main computer server when the car returns to the police station's parking lot
"Videos can be easily archived and retrieved for easy reference," said the company's senior account executive, Rocky Keys, who is a former Tulsa police officer.
More:
http://www.profilon.us/visionhawk.htm
(http://www.policetechnologies.com/images/VHCeilingUnit.jpg)
It looks like the only way were going to get dashcams is if former cops market them to the department. As far as tampering goes, the only way to guard against that is if the video is automatically public record and available for independent examination (i.e., not restricting media or defense attorneys to "edited" copies.)