Motorola and Day Wireless Systems experts provide insight on body-worn camera use and technology, including the Motorola V300 and new V700.
In today’s fast-paced and increasingly interconnected world, ensuring public safety has become a top priority for both communities and law enforcement agencies. The use of body-worn cameras (BWCs) by police officers has emerged as a significant tool in promoting transparency, accountability, and trust between law enforcement and the public. We talked with our public safety experts here at Day Wireless Systems, some of whom are former law enforcement officers (LEOs), to delve into the reasons why they feel BWCs should be worn or used, as well as benefits of our top BWC products.
Transparency and Accountability
Body-worn cameras provide an objective and unbiased account of interactions between law enforcement officers and civilians. By recording audio and video evidence of encounters, BWCs offer an accurate representation of events, reducing the likelihood of disputes or misunderstandings. This transparency serves as a valuable tool for officers in providing an unbiased record that can be referred to during investigations or legal proceedings. It enables law enforcement agencies to hold their officers accountable for their actions and behaviors, ensuring professionalism and adherence to proper procedures. Our experts also say with use of BWCs, they went to court less due to the transparency and incontrovertibility of evidence, saving time and public resources.
Evidence Gathering and Investigations
One of the most significant advantages of body-worn cameras is their ability to capture crucial evidence. The footage recorded by BWCs can be utilized in criminal investigations, providing an unbiased record of events that can be analyzed by law enforcement agencies, attorneys, and courts. This evidence can play a vital role in bringing criminals to justice, resolving complaints, and protecting the rights of both the accused and the victims. Also, as our experts found in their experience, the use of BWCs can potentially lead to more efficient and accurate investigations, minimizing the reliance on eyewitness testimonies, which can be prone to biases and inconsistencies.
Motorola understands law enforcement obligations when it comes to storage as well as redaction of video evidence. That is why unlike competitors, Motorola will never keep your video data hostage and with the use of REDACTIVE software you can easily identify and remove people, faces, or vehicles in motion from video evidence.
One of the benefits of Motorola BWC platforms we sell is the ability to save footage in a number of ways with metadata intact and encrypted end-to-end for custodial ship of evidence. An additional tool includes easy-to-use software that can help quickly process public records requests with redaction service, helping mitigate the need for additional personnel.
Officer Training and Professional Development
Body-worn cameras can also serve as invaluable tools for training and professional development within law enforcement agencies. By reviewing recorded interactions, officers can assess their own performance and identify areas for improvement. Supervisors can utilize BWC footage to provide constructive feedback, enhance officer training programs, and address potential issues promptly. Officers rely on footage to write more detailed and accurate reports. This continuous improvement cycle fosters a culture of professionalism among law enforcement personnel, ultimately benefiting both the officers and the communities they serve.
De-Escalation of Conflicts
The presence of body-worn cameras can have a positive impact on the behavior and actions of both officers and civilians during encounters. Knowing an interaction is being recorded tends to promote self-awareness and reduce the likelihood of unwanted behaviors. Although not always the case, use of BWCs can influence the behavior of civilians, discouraging them from engaging in confrontational or aggressive behavior towards LEOs. This de-escalation effect can contribute to safer interactions, reducing the risk of violence or harm to both parties involved. It also has saved officers from conflict after the encounter when it comes to diverging accounts of an interaction.
Strengthening Community Trust
Building and maintaining trust between law enforcement agencies and the communities they serve is paramount for effective public safety. Body-worn cameras play a pivotal role in fostering this trust by providing an objective record of law enforcement interactions, and some police departments often voluntarily release body camera footage without request, further increasing this trust. When the public perceives that law enforcement is being transparent with their actions, it enhances their confidence in the justice system and reinforces their trust in law enforcement. This improved trust can lead to increased cooperation from the public, facilitating crime prevention efforts and enabling law enforcement agencies to better serve and protect their communities.
Continuing Advancement
Your department may have already adopted BWCs and is aware of how useful they can be. Is it time for an upgrade? Recent advancements have addressed earlier limitations and can help your department more fully utilize the benefits mentioned above.
Recommended Equipment
Motorola V300
When it comes to the line of BWCs Day Wireless carries, the WatchGuard Video V300 is one of the most popular resources.
- It has a changeable battery, on top of a a long battery life, helping ensure LEOs with ‘record all the time’ parameters are able to conform, even through long shifts
- Automatically adjusts for body height to provide the best angle
- Bluetooth integration that can interface with APX radio for auto capture when the emergency button is pushed
- Available Bluetooth activation when a gun is pulled out of its holster (with Bluetooth holsters)
- Can be tied in with an in-car system
Motorola V700
The newest and latest offering from Motorola, our V700 has an LTE chip for remote, real-time viewing or broadcasting.
- Also has the changeable battery and interfaces with an in-car system
- Provides real-time upload to cloud (cloud service can be included in funding amoratization)
- Departments need their own LTE subscription and SIM card, which can be specified ahead of time and included in the equipment
Motorola VB400
With its rugged build quality, the VB400 body-worn camera is typically used for security and industrial use, but our customers in rural areas and with limited budgets also choose this camera.
- Multiple ways to connect
- Long battery life for full shift recording
- Pre-record function with peer-assisted recording
- Bluetooth & Wi-Fi connectivity, GPS
- Full HD recording in 1080p with secure file encryption
Motorola Service Subscriptions
Any body-worn camera Day Wireless sells has the option to add an amortized “As-A-Service” subscription. A five-year contract, it provides everything staff needs to operate the device. It also provides a lifecycle refresh (new camera and battery) at year three, guaranteeing the budget for upgrades and replacements.
Features include:
- Selected model body-worn camera
- Detachable Battery (V300 and V700)
- Camera Mount (Magnetic, MOLLE, or Shirt)
- Single-camera dock (VB400)
- Video Manager EL Software
- Virtual On-Demand Learning training & installation
- Warranty, including accidental damage and advance replacement
- 24/7 phone support
V300 and V700 Add-ons include:
- USB Dock
- Transfer Station
- Upload Server
- M500 In-Car Video System
VB400 Add-ons include:
- 14-Camera Dock
- DC-200 DockController
- RF-220 RFID Reader
- RFID Cards and Stickers
- Holster Aware Kit
The use of body-worn cameras and their peripherals are a valuable tool for law enforcement agencies to enhance public safety, promote transparency, and foster trust between officers and civilians. By capturing accurate evidence, encouraging professionalism, and ensuring accountability, BWCs contribute to more efficient investigations and improved officer training. They also play a significant role in de-escalating conflicts and strengthening community trust, ultimately resulting in safer interactions and enhanced public safety overall.
As technology continues to advance, Day Wireless Systems can help. We can help provide solutions, including help with grants and easy, public entity-friendly financing, to enable your investment in the practical adoption use of body-worn cameras. Contact us to learn more!