When we were young officers we liked to hear stories from the old heads of what police work was like in their rookie years. Then we would imagine what police work would be like when we were about to retire. I dreamed of finally ditching the archaic, costly, yet not functional, traditional uniforms for new ones that were functional and comfortable. One thing most officers agreed would happen before we retired was that each officer would have a button camera that would audio and video record everything we did during a shift. Although we hated thinking of big brother watching over us, we figured it was inevitable. Well, that time is closer than ever with the TASER AXON.
TASER International had a web cast / press conference yesterday announcing a new direction for the company. The announcement unveiled Evidence.com and Synapse. These are digital evidence collection, storage, and management solutions for their new personal video recorder, the AXON. Rick Smith, CEO and founder of TASER, described the benefits and features of the Axon, Evidence.com, and Synapse in this hour long video.
The Axon had been unveiled around May 2008. Below are two videos from BluTube. The first is an interview by Betsy Brantner Smith showing the Axon and highlighting some of its features. The second is a teaser video from TASER about the Axon.
BLUtube is powered by PoliceOne.com
BLUtube is powered by PoliceOne.com
Features of the AXON:
Headcam
- You wear it around your head like behind the head earphones but it can also mount on both eyeglasses or helmets.
- The earpiece contains a radio earpiece, microphone for both the radio and audio recorder, and a video camera.
- The camera records both color and near IR. The near IR is good for about 20 feet.
Com Hub-User Control Device
- Has a push to talk button for the radio.
- Has a privacy button that allows the officer to turn off the video, audio, or both.
ATC-Axon Tactical Computer
- Not just a video recorder but a computer that can be used as a platform for future technology.
- Uses a Linux operating system.
- Has a video screen that allows officers to watch the video during or after an incident. Officers can take the headcam off and watch the videoscreen to view in attics and around corners instead of using their head.
- Allows an officer to add markers on the video.
- Allows add narration tracks so an officer can go back later and articulate what he was feeling at a particular point of the video.
- Can be configured for pre-event recording. That means the recorder will record a set amount of time before the button is pushed. Rick Smith gave an example of 15 seconds.
Additional features in the future
- Gps tagging of the video
- Video will integrate license plate recognition software
Cost of AXON
Headcam and Com Hub $1700
Two-year extended warranty $365
TASER is offering to help departments apply for federal grants to pay for the equipment.
TASER plans to start selling AXON and operating Evidence.com in the third quarter of 2009.
Research on headcams
There was a UK pilot study of 300 officers wearing headcams over 6 months which produced these results:
- 47% increase in charge/summons
- 22% reduction in officer time on paperwork
- 9.2% increase in officer time spent on patrol
- 90% of the public surveyed where positive about headcams
- No complaints on officers wearing headcams
My Thoughts
If this is the direction that law enforcement is inevitably headed then TASER is one of the better manufacturers to take us there. They have been innovative and supply excellent products and service but are expensive.
Their design appears to address some officer issues.
- They provide a privacy button.
- They allow officers to immediately view videos to assist in writing reports. Here is link to a Force Science Newsletter that discusses this issue for police shootings.
- No officer likes paperwork and TASER is touting that video and audio evidence reduces the need for extensive reports, just attach the data from the video recording instead.
- They are integrating it into radio systems for easier use.
This will be controversial issue among many police officers especially those that started police work before video cameras. What are your thoughts?
Additional links and references:
PoliceOne.com article
Popular Mechanics article
Wired Magazine article
TASER AXON promo site
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Like everything else, there are pluses and minuses for using cameras in this manner. These models appear they are still too bulky and expensive to be practical for everyday use, but they seem they might be more beneficial to SWAT operators.
I most like the idea that you can use the camera to see around corners or in attics. It’s also great that there is a privacy button. The main drawback of video is the same no matter what kind of camera you use. The media and general public see videos that are easily misconstrued by people that have no idea how interpret what they are seeing. Just a cursory search of you tube with the term “police brutality” will show you what I am talking about.
I’m sure constant video like this is inevitable, and like you said, Taser has shown itself to be a solid, innovative company. I can’t think of a better company to move this technology forward.
I must agree with Jumpout. In my neck of the woods, any physical use of force is seen as police brutality. The police should have the magic ability to convince resisting subjects into cuffs peacefully.
The day my word in court is insufficient without video recordings of everything that happened is the day I retire.
Good point. If the law enforcement professional ever becomes so distrusted that his word means so little a case can’t be won in court without video, this profession will no longer be effective. I fear that the easier we make it to provide video, the more quickly we will reach that dilemma if for no other reason than laziness.
I don’t think our testimony will ever be insufficient without video but I think that our testimony currently ranks below video in credibility. Instead of video enhancing our testimony, I think the jurors in trials and the people in the court of public opinion mostly ignore what we have to say or what other evidence there is and give almost 100% of their weight to any video of the incident. They watch the video and draw their own conclusions. Videos definitely have their strengths but they also have weaknesses too. We will write an article or two about it in the future but a good on is already on RoaVaPD’s blog at this link.
I think your link is broken, Scott. It’s telling me page not found.
I tested all the links and couldn’t find a broken one. Which one do you think is broken?