NCJ Number
177470
Journal
Law Enforcement Technology Volume: 26 Issue: 6 Dated: June 1999 Pages: 52-58
Date Published
1999
Length
5 pages
Annotation
Police departments need to establish appropriate policies and standards related to the use of mobile video systems and adequate training must be conducted to realize the technology's full value.
Abstract
Videotapes can show if a search was conducted legally, if a police officer behaved properly, and if a suspect was transported successfully to jail. Mobile video systems can be cost-effective, particularly because insurance companies will often reduce stop- loss premiums for municipalities if police departments equip their patrol cars with mobile video equipment and because the systems tend to reduce court costs. In addition, videotapes have evidentiary value because they accurately present the details of an incident to a jury. Videotapes gather two forms of evidence simultaneously, the video picture and the audio track of the scene. Another significant benefit of mobile video systems involves their use as a training tool. Reviewing videotapes helps police officers identify bad habits, such as getting too close to a suspect, standing too close to oncoming traffic, or exposing a weapon to a suspect. Police academies often use mobile videotapes to provide real-life scenarios that augment theoretical classroom sessions. Mobile video systems can also serve as tools to record accident scenes, family violence calls, witness and suspect interviews, and prisoner transport. In addition, physical evidence found in a vehicle at a traffic stop can also be recorded. Videotapes, however, are not intended to replace good policing practices, and the evidence obtained on videotapes is only as good as the police officer and the police department that gather it. Storage considerations associated with the use of mobile video systems and situations in which videotapes should be used are examined. 3 photographs