Critical questions about buying a digital in-car video system:
Will the system readily integrate with vehicle?
Law enforcement vehicles are getting smaller, yet the requirements for storage and display systems in the vehicles has become increased. Make sure that the digital system fits well in your agency’s vehicles and installs simply and safely.
Will the system be easy to use?
The overhead controls should be easy to read at a glance. The training of an officer in the use of the in-car control system should take no more than one hour.
Does the system offer pre-event recording?
If the system you are considering does not offer Pre-event recording as a standard feature you are missing a critical piece of evidence gathering functionality. Make sure that your manufacturer has licensed Pre-event recording technology from the patent holder.
What are other important features?
Battery backup, multiple cameras, external and internal audio recording, wireless microphone, multiple ways to upload data captured in the car including wireless, data stored on a server, evidence security, rugged, removable hard drive, latest technology, GPS, multiple video resolution modes, proprietary software, concurrent recording and review and frame-by-frame analysis and encryption.
Has the manufacturer addressed support for expandability, upgradeability,
service, and user support?
Check out the ability and willingness of the manufacturer of the system you are considering in these areas. If they are not using up-to-date technologies chances are the expandability/upgrading of the system will be severally limited. What is the manufacturer’s reputation in regards to supporting other products it has made and sold?
Will the video stand up in court without challenge to its veracity?
Quite simply if the video can be viewed or edited with readily available commercial software or viewers it is not secure. Proprietary software drastically reduces the reasonable probability that the video can be edited. This is especially true if the only access to the server where the video is stored is limited to authorized individuals.
Is the back end system for video storage scalable to handle any
conceivable amount of video?
While VHS and DVD storage of evidence are low cost alternatives today; they are old technologies. Storage on a server is a computer based solution that is expandable to meet whatever data storage needs your agency has today and into the foreseeable future. Computers have certainly become smaller and faster, they haven’t been replaced.
Does the manufacturer have a track record of working with law
enforcement and military agencies?
If the manufacturer has employees who have law enforcement and/or military agency backgrounds, the comprehension of what is important to the officer in the car is easy to understand. If the manufacturer has a solid reputation with various law enforcement agencies and military installations, you can be assured that they will understand your agency’s needs and concerns.
Is the system easily serviceable and are service costs manageable?
Most manufacturers provide a warranty of ninety days to one year. A manufacturer providing longer warranties is confident in their product. Look for a system with extended warranties and rugged construction.
Is the system easily configurable for different resolutions, frame
rates, and quality levels?
In examining video to be used as evidence; there is one absolute; the quality of resolution. If the license plate or an individual’s face is blurry, you probably don’t have evidence. Choose a manufacturer whose standard resolution mode is high quality and who can also provide your agency with multiple choices of high resolution. The quality of the camera and its zoom capabilities will also be an important factor in this issue.
Does the digital system provide better video file management than
tape based systems?
Using a server solution to store, sort, share and archive video evidence is a long term solution based upon the latest computer technology. All of your agency’s evidence storage can be accomplished on a secure server, no more stacking tapes or DVD’s on a shelf. Evidence files can be “archived” by many different standard or customized identification “tags”, the same as saving a Word or Excel file. A server solution can be set to automatically delete (after a certain number of days or weeks or months) all of those files that are not identified to be archived, thus managing your storage needs.
Does the digital system pass your IT department’s stamp
of approval?
The manufacturer must satisfy the technology requirements of the agency’s IT department.
Is the back end system designed to provide adequate security of
video data files?
If your back-end system is a server then the security issues are already minimized relative to tapes or DVD’s stored on a shelf in a room that may not have restricted access. The server can be part of the Local Area Network (“LAN”) of your agency, access to the server via the LAN or any other means can be restricted. Sharing the video evidence stored on the server can be accomplished via your LAN and the recipients of those video files can be restricted as well. In other words, with a secure server, no unauthorized person may access that evidence stored on the server.
Does your agency have a preference as to transfer of evidence
files from the car to the precinct server?
Evidence captured via the in-car system must continue to be secure through its transfer to the server. Look for a manufacturer who is able to offer your agency the most up-to-date technology transfer options; removable hard drive, Ethernet cable and wireless. Each of these methods has its own unique advantages. Uploading evidence from removable hard drive to the server is very quick; approximately one minute for one hour of data. Wireless is currently the slowest method; approximately ten minutes for one hour of data. The speed of wireless data transfer will increase over time as bandwidth technology improves. At this time transfer via removable hard drive is probably the most secure. There are other issues to be considered such as; who transfers the data captured in-car? Some agencies prefer the officer remove the hard drive for example; other agencies prefer that the shift supervisor be responsible for removing and transferring data. A key lock on the storage vault in the car can provide or limited access as desired by the agency.
