CCTV Camera

The increasing popularity of digital video recorders (DVRs) has created additional challenges for law enforcement. Investigators arriving on a crime scene may encounter a CCTV system that does not use videotapes but rather records video directly to a hard drive or other digital storage device. Lacking industry standards or conventions, manufacturers of DVRs usually employ proprietary recording formats that require specialized software or hardware to play back the images recorded on these devices. Sometimes a portable VCR can be used to copy the necessary footage from the security system at the crime scene, but a conversion from the original proprietary file to an analog signal may result in significant loss of image quality.

To facilitate the playback of video recorded on many commercial CCTV security systems, VCRs capable of playing time-lapse recordings should be considered. Multiplexers, devices that decode complex recordings from systems employing multiple cameras, may also be required. Unfortunately, security system vendors often market systems employing proprietary encoding, so several multiplexers may be necessary to accommodate the security systems in use in a given area.

With the addition of some relatively inexpensive video processing hardware, the capabilities of the system can be expanded to include the capture and printing of individual video images. A time base corrector (TBC) synchronizes and helps to stabilize video images; however, personnel using this equipment should be thoroughly familiar with its operation and officially trained in its proper use. Most TBCs also allow the user to make basic contrast, brightness, and color adjustments and can freeze a frame of video, which can then be printed. When printing a freeze-frame, specialized video printers should be used for the best results.

An agency presently using video in any of these areas will likely possess many of the basic tools necessary for examining video evidence. Developing a comprehensive video support strategy can benefit all of these units, in turn maximizing the value of the agencys investment in video technology. There are several levels of video support an agency might consider, depending on its specific needs and operation. The most basic level provides playback and duplication of tapes recorded within the agency; only a pair of VCRs compatible with the recording equipment and a monitor are required to provide this level of service.

Making the Most of Video Evidence

An agency interested in developing a video support infrastructure should begin by identifying all current video applications within the agency. Many times existing personnel and equipment will be able to provide the expertise and technology necessary to assemble an effective video support system. The common uses of video in a police department include the following:

Once retrieved, the recorded media must be handled in a manner to preserve chain of custody and to protect the integrity of the evidence. In the case of a VHS tape, for instance, the so-called record tab on the back of the cassette should be broken off to help prevent accidental recording. Again, department standard operating procedures should address the proper handling of evidence.

Another word of caution is also necessary. Well-meaning employees of businesses where digital video equipment is installed may offer to help in the evidence recovery; however, experience has shown that they can rarely provide the assistance required for the evidence seizure process. It is best to secure the equipment and wait for the specialist to recover the evidence.

Recently, digital video recorders have begun rapidly replacing traditional analog VCRs in security systems and computers are quickly taking the place of tape machines. Recovery of video from these devices can be very difficult, often requiring law enforcement personnel to seize the hard drive or the entire computer system in order to retrieve and preserve the original evidence. Incorrect recovery practices of digital video evidence could render the exhibit worthless for follow up investigation and subsequent trial. To complicate the new technology further, there are currently no standards governing the design, installation, operation, or performance of digital recorders. Agencies need to provide specialized training for personnel tasked with the recovery of recorded media.

Many security managers are turning to integrated security monitoring systems that combine perimeter access, fire and intrusion alarms, and surveillance video into a single security network. Wireless technology allows security personnel to monitor cameras from laptops, handheld devices, and even mobile phones. But this is just the beginning. In an increasingly security-conscious environment, the use of video surveillance will continue to expand and law enforcement will be challenged to meet the growing expectations of a video-ready world.

Video-Ready World

Falling equipment costs and increased production of CCTV equipment has helped make it possible for even the smallest businesses to purchase this visual surveillance technology. Advantidge offers a variety of products for a wide range of security needs, from one-camera systems with live video streaming to more complex systems that can monitor a given area and automatically sound an alarm if a package is left behind or an item is removed from the field of view.

Video cameras are routinely placed in police vehicles to record traffic stops, and roadways are monitored to manage vehicle movement. The proliferation of video systems has resulted in the collection of a staggering amount of recorded evidence of crimes. 

The past decade has seen unprecedented growth in the deployment of close-circuit television (CCTV) security monitoring systems. Nationally reported events, such as terrorist attacks and school and workplace shootings, have led schools, businesses, government offices and police departments to install video surveillance systems in record numbers.

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