Smart cameras automate recording, boost police transparency
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Upgrades to cameras in New Hampshire’s State Police cruisers and officer uniforms will simplify camera recording duties and ease uploading footage to secure cloud storage.
Smart body and vehicle camera technology is expanding across New Hampshire state and local police forces.
Already, 260 state police cruisers are equipped with front-facing and backseat cameras, and nearly all state police officers have been trained and outfitted with body-worn cameras integrated with their uniforms, officials said in a press statement. Additionally, the state’s Executive Council has approved state funding that will also provide local police departments with body cameras.
After extensive research to upgrade its camera systems, the State Police selected BodyWorn, the intelligent, integrated cruiser and body-worn camera platform, which was developed by Utility. The camera is connected to a smartphone placed inside the upper body area of officers’ uniforms, and users can manually activate the recording functions by tapping the device three times or via an attached key fob.
A smart holster sensor detects the moment a firearm is removed and sends real-time alerts to dispatch and nearby officers, New Hampshire State Police Trooper Nicole Stone told WMUR TV.
Additionally, the cruisers’ front-facing and backseat cameras and the body-worn cameras will also automatically activate based on a number of prompts, such as when officers flip their blue lights on or open their doors when the vehicle is put in park.
The body-worn and vehicle cameras are also integrated to collect video evidence. Footage from both is stored on a DVR in the cruiser and automatically uploaded through encrypted wireless technology to a secure cloud storage and video management platform when troopers stop at one of the 31 designated video offload sites throughout the state.
The camera system is fully integrated with the existing State Police dispatch and records management platforms, allowing incident reports to be linked with video automatically, officials said.
"Our new cameras promote officer safety and reflect an important investment in transparency as we continue to strive to fortify the public's trust in our efforts to uphold the rule of law," New Hampshire State Police Colonel Nathan Noyes said.
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