Points to Note before Purchasing of a Body-Worn Camera

Body-worn cameras (BWC) have come a long way in a short time from simple record only video cameras to cameras that offer exceptional audio-visual quality and durability. From the perspective of the community, body-worn cameras increase the accountability and transparency of the police officers and security guards. Employee behavior and officer behavior visibly improve with the simple addition of a body-worn camera to their equipment. The same goes for members of the community; the complaints and offensive behavior against police and security personnel reduce drastically in environments where a body is worn cam is present.

The wide choice of cameras available on the market might make choosing the right one confusing. The customer should first know what their requirements are. They demand BWC for traffic wardens, lone workers, security guards, prison officers, and other emergency workers like fire persons or paramedics. Since the bodycam footage can be used as evidence during court trials, companies have to make sure that their products follow the different regulations regarding maintaining the integrity of digital evidence. There are several common features to ensure data integrity. Different authorization levels ensure that the police officer wearing the camera has no way of tampering with the video, deleting it, or changing it.

for example, In OMG law enforcement evidence management Secure Mini Body Worn Camera with Encryption [With LCD Screen] (BWC060) it has authorization levels:

• The user allows just recording and lives to stream, but no file deletion or access to recorded files
• Videos will be double encrypted with AES256 and RSA2048. The public will not be able to access the videos even though they break the camera. Only users with RSA Private Key can view the videos

These are some key points to keep in mind before buying a body-worn camera.

 Ease of Use

Body-worn cameras are equipped with pre-recording and one-button record features that make them ideal for use while officers are on the field. The officer should be able to easily activate the cam in the event of an emergency. The device should also enable users to manage and store the videos with ease since it is usually a time-consuming process.

 Reliability and Endurance

Unnecessarily heavy cameras might affect the performance of security and prevent them from doing their job. Yes, they want their recorder to be rugged and durable but too much extra weight can be a burden in the line of duty. Like the Light Weight WIFI Law Enforcement Body-Worn Camera, Video 1728*1296 30fps, H.264, 940NM Night vision (BWC052) can easily attach to the pocket or at front of the shirt to record every moment of the public.

Data Management

Managing the data recorded by the camera is extremely important. Because the size of the footage will be huge; it is imperative that retrieving and storing data should be easy and manageable. Frontline security and law enforcement officers rely on the videos to prove they acted out of necessity or catch people who commit crimes. For this reason, they need to have a device that is easy to use, reliable and secure. Our products are having an internal storage SD card for huge data storage and 20 docking station to store data and recharge.

Size and Comfort

Weight is a significant factor when it comes to comfort and size. The lighter the device, the better for the wearer. Although the user will have to balance the weight against features, size, and durability. Security agencies don’t want to buy a camera that breaks easily and the device should have the necessary hardware and software they require for their needs.

The OMG Law enforcement wearable Headset Body Worn Camera (BWC056) which is also shown in picture is easy to wear especially for those who want to record any activity of daily life, also security officers can easily place on the head. It Lightweight, portable, hands-free Wearable mini video camera, convenient to use

• Sony 8.0MP CMOS sensor
• 1080P Full HD recording
• Bluetooth phone call and music play
• WIFI connection and APP control

Suitable for various occasions such as tea art, painting, cooking, fishing, chemical experiment, etc. Support max 64GB TF card to meet your demands.

Weather Resistance

Body-worn cameras are always susceptible to danger from environmental factors. Police body cam should be able to withstand any harsh weather and environmental factors in their operation area. Rain, snow and other weather conditions can affect the quality of the recording, therefore buying a video recorder that works well under any circumstances is vital. Our Police Body Worn Camera (BWC004) having a 6G glass-optical lens, true FHD video resolution, and waterproof IP67 with an angle of 140 able to work in the rain, snow and other weather conditions.

Battery Life

The battery life of a BWC should allow the camera to function for an entire shift without having to be recharged. The camera does not run continuously but instead is turned on and off by the officer as required by police policy. On average, an officer records between two to three hours during the course of an eight-hour shift. Ten- to 12-hour shifts require longer battery life, our products having mostly 16 hours of battery life.

Field of View

The horizontal field of view of a BWC is typically between 90 and 130 degrees. A wider-angle lens may capture more of a particular scene, and give more information than need. The wider-angle lens may store such pictures that are not seen by officer eye the Mini HD Body Worn Police Camera, 12MP OV2710 140 Degree Camera, H.264 MOV, 1080P, TF Max 128G, Long Time Work (BWC053) which degrees are more than normal cameras and give a wider picture.

Night Vision

Law enforcement agencies do their duties day and night; therefore, they also need night vision. Though some BWC comes with a night vision option, there is a lack of wide range degree and not capable of weather conditions our Mini Police Body Worn Camera, 1296p, 170Deg, 12 Hours, GPS, Night Visual (BWC010) and waterproof compatible for all weather conditions.

Docking System

The users usually using a body camera for security then they must need a docking system. This technology is evolving to allow for uploading video in the field, most BWC come as a system that includes an accompanying “docking station.” Docking stations charge the BWC unit, and the higher-end systems also transfer or upload digital recordings to servers or cloud storage. For most models of BWC, an officer will place the camera unit in a docking station when returning to the department upon completion of a shift. If the video clips have not been previously categorized or tagged, the officer or another member of the department can do so at this point in the process. We are providing 8 ports, 10 ports, 12 ports, 20 ports and also 8 ports docking stations with display stations to our clients.

Some research gives us three strategies that make video transparent.

 Three strategies for maximizing body camera transparency

• Police administrators must ensure their officers comply with departmental policies regarding camera activation and use. Most departments mandate that officers activate their body cameras during every encounter with the public. But compliance rates are often low, with some officers activating their cameras in fewer than 2 percent of incidents. While new technologies may improve officer compliance such as cameras that automatically turn on when calls are dispatched or weapons are drawn departments must do a better job of tracking compliance and addressing it when officers aren’t following protocols.
• Officers must notify the people they contact when their body cameras are recording. In many police departments, policies suggest but do not mandate that officers tell community members when their cameras are activated and recording. As a result, few people are actually aware of cameras during their encounters with police.
• Departments should work as quickly as possible to release body camera footage from high profile incidents and other incidents upon request. In most states, the public can access footage through open records requests. But this process can be delayed when the footage is part of an ongoing investigation or when it contains details (like faces, license plates, or private information) that must be redacted before release.

Conclusion

Wearable cameras are joining the many technologies that will help all emergency personnel work more effectively and safely in the field. Now after detail makes decisions about body cameras and their supporting infrastructure it easier to adopt these new devices and communications capabilities and extend them to more employees in the future.

References

Excellence, P. C. f., n.d. [Online]
Available at: https://pceinc.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/20180301-Police-Body-Worn-Cameras_What-Prosecutors-Need-to-Know-White-and-Case-and-PCE.pdf

Gogol, I., 2016/01/18. asmag.com. [Online]
Available at: https://www.asmag.com/showpost/19727.aspx

MANAGEMENT, E., n.d. [Online]
Available at: https://www.nccpsafety.org/assets/files/library/Handbook_for_Public_Safety_Officials-_Body_Camera_Program.pdf

Peterson, B., May 29, 2018. URBAN INSTITUTE. [Online]
Available at: https://www.urban.org/urban-wire/three-ways-police-can-use-body-cameras-build-community-trust

Products, n.d. OMG Law Enforcement – Body Worn Camera (DVR/ WIFI/ 3G/ 4G) / Digital Evidence Management – Singapore. [Online]
Available at: https://omg-solutions.com/body-worn-camera/

Security, R., n.d. Rewire Security. [Online]
Available at: https://www.rewiresecurity.co.uk/blog/body-worn-camera-cctv-security