Wearable camerasPanasonic shows wearable camera for law enforcement

Panasonic yesterday introduced its Wearable Video Camera system. The new solution, designed for law enforcement officers in the field, will provide agencies with a system that captures and stores tamper-proof audio video evidence, delivering an accurate record of officer engagements.

Panasonic says that in the digital age, in which social media is ubiquitous, video evidence capture is important to an agency’s reputation and the safety of its officers. According to the U.S. Bureau of Justice, in 2011 60 percent of police departments and 66 percent of sheriff’s offices now use video solutions in their vehicles. Adopting body-worn video solutions is a complement to in-car platforms providing video directly from the officer’s vantage point.

Designed as a standalone solution, or able to be integrated with the Toughbook Arbitrator SafeServe software version 7.4 slated for release in the Fall of 2012, the Panasonic WVTW310 wearable camera features a recording capacity of up to thirty-two hours using H.264 compression and a battery life of approximately five hours in pre-event continuous record mode or longer without. The camera is optimized for both day and night usage.

“With the adoption of wearable cameras, public safety agencies can achieve total situational awareness and a comprehensive and seamless digital camera evidence capture solution, from the field to the courtroom,” said Greg Peratt, director of digital video products, Panasonic. “This single camera platform will provide agencies with a wide-angle audio and video record of important officer engagements while ensuring the integrity of the chain of custody, delivering significant time and cost savings in the acquisition, management and review of recorded evidence.”