NCJ Number
211020
Journal
Law Enforcement Technology Volume: 32 Issue: 8 Dated: August 2005 Pages: 84,86,93
Date Published
August 2005
Length
9 pages
Annotation
This article describes existing and future technology that enables police officers, especially SWAT teams, to conduct visual and possibly audio surveillance of an area from a secure position.
Abstract
Entering dark areas, turning blind corners, barging through doors into houses and rooms without knowing what is on the other side have, in the past, placed police officers at great risk of being shot or otherwise attacked by persons who have the advantage of seeing an officer before the officer sees them. These risks have been largely removed due to the development of "tactical viewing" systems. The shrinking sizes of cameras and fiber optic technology have allowed the development of mobile tactical viewing equipment that can be passed under doors, around corners, and into dark areas through the use of night-vision cameras. This article describes various tactical viewing systems by manufacturer name and location. Equipment described includes a telescoping pole camera device; an under-door remote viewing scope; a viewing device that can be tossed, rolled, or dropped into rooms, stairwells, hallways, or under vehicles; cameras for distance viewing in total darkness; and devices that can be slipped under doors and manipulated to view an entire room while officers view it on a monitor at a safe location. Suggestions are offered for how a department might select and fund tactical viewing devices appropriate for its work.