NCJ Number
207820
Journal
Law and Order Volume: 52 Issue: 9 Dated: September 2004 Pages: 86-88
Date Published
September 2004
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This article assesses the cost-benefit of using a thermal-imaging camera in night searches and night patrol, featuring the example of the camera's use by the Montgomery County Sheriff's Department (Texas).
Abstract
The thermal-imaging camera converts heat-generating objects and organisms into a screen display of glowing white against the background of cooler masses in the scene framed by the camera. When suspects are believed by officers to be hiding in woods or other areas at night or under light-restricted conditions, the thermal-imaging camera can speed the search, reduce the number of officers required to conduct it, and increase the likelihood that the suspect will be found. In addition to being used in searching areas where suspects are believed to be hiding, the camera can also be used in routine nightly patrol. The officer trained to use the camera in the Montgomery County Sheriff's Office reports that he uses it nightly in his rounds of apartment complexes and other areas where criminal activity is prevalent in the county. He uses the camera to scan cars in parking lots and dark spaces between buildings and in alleys. The hand-held camera requires leaving the vehicle, but vehicle-mounted thermal-imaging cameras can scan areas from the safety of the patrol car, thus providing greater protection for an officer. This enables officers to conduct surveillance at night without taking the time and the risk of leaving the vehicle to conduct security checks. This article presents estimates of cost savings under various scenarios in which the thermal-imaging camera, which costs approximately $10,000, can prove cost-effective over time.