NCJ Number
125789
Date Published
1990
Length
10 pages
Annotation
This chapter documents progress in the general use of video equipment in patrol cars, focusing on exemplary operations in Florida and Georgia, and presenting some problems and prospects for its future use.
Abstract
Video technology installed as permanent equipment in patrol cars can provide objective visual and audio evidence of what transpired in a police patrol encounter. The Georgia State Patrol began to use such a system in 1986 as part of the Drug Enforcement Administration's "Operation Pipeline," which is designed to control drug trafficking along Federal Highways 75 and 95. In Altamonte Springs, Fla., videotaped patrol encounters document traffic stops that may involve drunk drivers. Videotaped accounts of police encounters with citizens not only provide objective evidence of what transpired, but can also deter assaults on police officers, as suspects will be reluctant to violate the law when they know they are being videotaped. Videotapes of actual patrol stops are also useful in the training of police officers in both correct and incorrect policing. Research and evaluation can help to define the areas in which this technology can contribute to more effective law enforcement. 14 references.