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DURHAM — Durham police have used video cameras in their cars since 1998, but a new generation of digital cameras may be on the way to offer advantages the older models don’t.
The cameras will produce better images, store more information and be able to "pre-event record," which means information can be saved 30 seconds or more before the officer turns on the camera.
The new digital cameras, when the power is on, are constantly recording data and erasing it. But with pre-event recording, an officer can set the camera to save a specified amount of video, typically 30 seconds, before he turns on his blue lights and activates the camera for permanent recording.
"That captures the law violation, and it then captures the officer’s entire interaction with the citizen," according to Lt. John Shelton, who has just completed a study of the department’s camera needs.
Shelton has recommended the department increase police car cameras from 80 to 130. His recommendation for the all-digital cameras with removable hard drives is set to go before the City Council next month. The total cost, about $690,000, would be paid with drug seizure funds.
When the department first installed cameras in police cars, they used bulky VHS tapes; many were later replaced by DVD units.
With the new generation of digital cameras, the hard drives can be removed and stored for months or longer at police headquarters for use in court or for other reasons.
Advantages of the new cameras include documenting how an officer and citizen interacted during a traffic stop or some other encounter, he said.
"It covers the officer from complaints by the citizen and shows whether the office did right or wrong in his actions," Shelton said. "And the officer may encounter some evidence pursuant to the traffic stop that would certainly have value in court."
Shelton said the cameras have often meant the difference between winning or losing a court case.
"We’ve had cases go to court, like drunk driving, where officers have used the video as evidence. It’s much easier to get a conviction when you have that video data."
The new digital cameras are constantly recording and overwriting, or erasing. And with pre-event recording, what happened just before an officer turns on his blue lights can be captured and automatically sent to the removable hard drive, saving it for later use.
In addition, the digital camera can attach "metadata" to the image, which means that an officer can label a video with a suspect’s name.
"That name would be stored with the video as long as it’s kept," Shelton said, making it much easier to find it in the computer system.
Police plan to replace the older-model cameras and add the others during the coming months. Each camera costs about $5,200 and is installed inside the patrol car on the roof line, near the rear-view mirror on the passenger’s side. It is not designed to be removed, but can be turned to the left and right if necessary.
Shelton said other cities, including Chapel Hill and Raleigh, have moved to digital cameras or plan to do so. He believes it’s a win-win move.
"The citizens of Durham should feel good that the police department is getting in-car cameras and upgrading the ones we have, because it helps us collect evidence to uphold the law and ensures that the officers are acting appropriately and professionally," he said.
"So it works in both directions — it helps us and the citizens."
Police Chief Jose Lopez agreed.
"If, God forbid, something happens to the officer, we’ll at least have the video," he said. "And also, we see how officers have handled some calls and see if maybe there needs to be some improvements in our training.
"It also protects the citizen," Lopez said. "His recollection of the incident can be [wrong] after the fact, especially after a traumatic situation. And we can find out who’s right or wrong, relative to any traffic stop that occurs. It also helps us in many other investigative aspects, including major crimes where we can identify different individuals who are in a given area, and possibly see someone fleeing the area."
"So it works both ways, and ultimately protects the officer either from a wrongful accusation or from an incident where we can see who the perpetrators were."
