Police Use of Point of View Cameras - Key Things You Should Know

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By Justin Thibault


Point of view cameras were initially invented to record the exciting adventures of surfers, bungee jumpers and other extreme sports enthusiasts. It was designed to cover their exploits so that they could share their close brushes with death from their own viewpoint with family and friends. From being massive headpieces, POV cams are now more streamlined. They can be bought as lipstick-sized contraptions that can be easily mounted on helmets, bikes, cars and other vehicles or attached to any body part.

Moreover, many more people and organizations have found a use for POV cameras. To ensure that drivers show them the courtesy they deserve, bicyclists mount these cams on their helmets. Scientists and researchers doing fieldwork rely heavily on POV cams to ascertain that they do not leave out any important detail.

Various police stations all over the country have started allowing their personnel to wear point of view cameras while on duty. In Erlanger, Kentucky and Lafayette, Colorado, officers have already started putting body-worn cameras to use. Now, guns aren't the only tool in their crime-fighting arsenal-they have POV cameras on hand as well.

Car or dashboard-mounted cameras were the traditional equipment of choice for police stations. However, the limitations of a car camera are now made more obvious when body cameras came to the fore. A POV camera can record the whole incident compared with a car camera that just captures the action on the streets. It can give an audio and video account of what happens when an officer is asked to respond to a call for help inside a building or house. With a device like this, transactions with the police become more transparent, further strengthening public trust.

When police officers wear POV cams, they also protect themselves against wrongful allegations. The actual video recording becomes a resource that can be referred to should there be questions regarding how the police responded to the situation. This gadget protects both the police and the civilians from any unfair accusations or blatantly false claims.

Police departments operating on a tight budget will find that POV cameras are more affordable than car cameras. A body-worn camera worn by an officer is only a little less than a hundred dollars vis--vis the five thousand dollar cost of a car camera. It is more versatile, too, considering the fact that more ground is covered without putting too much strain on the department's budget.

However, a POV camera has its own limitations. Departments have to be resourceful regarding how and when these cams should be used since the battery life only lasts only a maximum of 3 hours. Also, erasing the video recording can easily be done by an officer if he thinks that what was recorded can be detrimental to his career so it is necessary that strict guidelines on usage be implemented.

That being said, however, POV cameras are the future for improved law enforcement services. Affordable and a strong deterrent against abusive officers, these gadgets also serve to reduce litigation costs and settlements arising from wrongful grievances against police personnel. There are limitations of point of view cameras but these can be overcome by instilling proper protocol on how they should be used.




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