Nicknamed the Armadillo, the formidable and eyecatching eyesore is parked in front of “nuisance properties“: suspected drug houses or scenes of frequent disorderly conduct. The strategy: establishing a highly visible police presence without squandering patrol officer manhours. The result: shaming criminals and other scofflaws into modifying their behavior or beating a retreat. The prize: restoring a little peace and quiet to troubled neighborhoods.

The Armadillo is attracting attention, all right–nationwide! (And you thought armadillo sightings were “a Texas thang!”) Check out recent video newsclips from Fox and the Wall Street Journal and in online articles including wsjonline and gizmodo.

The Armadillo is rigged with four exterior-mounted SV-620 color cameras, a Safety Vision RoadRecorder 6000 PRO mobile DVR, and an interior-mounted SV-LCD70 display monitor. Plans are to add a fifth camera mounted behind the windshield to record the view from the inside looking out. And based on the success of (and citizen demand for) this prototype Armadillo, the Peoria PD may add similarly equipped vehicles to its crimefighting fleet, launching an armada of armored Armadillos!

Also of note: according to Jeff Wilson of the Peoria PD, the Armadillo is a top 10 contender in an International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) innovative policing contest. We’re rootin’ for the Armadillo, Friends!

The incident was captured by Safety Vision’s PatrolRecorder 4C RHD (removable hard drive) mobile DVR. It all began when Sergeant Matthew Davidson of the Harris County Precinct 8 Constable’s Office came to the aid of a “nervous” motorist changing a flat on a narrow bridge shoulder as traffic rushed by. Moments before the semi tire rolled onto the scene, the motorist looked up and spied the oncoming tire. And just in the nick of time: His startled exclamation of warning prompted Sgt. Davidson to move out of harm’s way, not a moment or millimeter too soon.

We’re happy to report that Sgt. Davidson sustained only minor injuries while proclaiming major gratitude at  his good fortune. It’s true what they say: One good deed deserves another.

See the story as reported on Houston’s KTRK Channel 13, (C) 2009-KTRK-TV/DT.

If you’re a video buff, you’ll want to check out online video-sharing site Vimeo.  Vimeo bills itself as “People connecting through video”: a thriving community for people to upload, store, and share video. You could say that our business, too, is people connecting through video–mobile video, that is.

Safety Vision’s first posting on Vimeo was provided by a police car video camera customer here in the great state of Texas.  The video depicts a night-time ride that ends when the officer misjudges a turn and flips his vehicle. (This same clip had earlier been posted with other police video clips on policeone.com’s BLUtube.)

This police department uses our four-camera PatrolRecorder 4C in-car patrol video surveillance system. Listen closely, and you’ll note that the system’s audio is automatically triggered by the event. This combination of video and audio recording provides a comprehensive, accurate reconstruction of the scene–before, during, and after an accident or other incident under review. “Just the facts, ma’am,” as Sgt. Joe Friday was given to say.

Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride: In-car police camera video captured at night from Safety Vision on Vimeo.

According to Lt. Ruemke, “We’ve been using police car video cameras for about 10 years, now. We started back when the technology consisted of camcorders bouncing on the dashboard.” Technology has evolved, and mobile-rated police car video systems are considerably more rugged and reliable. Today, the two law officers say they can’t imagine patrol duty without onboard video recording.

“The police car cameras are helpful in so many situations, especially as a quick way to solve a complaint,” says Ruemke. The officers mentioned the technology’s contributions to racial profiling reporting and said the in-car video technology is invaluable in DWI and drug interdiction stops as well as domestic disturbance calls. In fact, says Deputy Wegner, “It’s hard to get a DWI conviction without a video.”

And the officers say they rely on in-car audio just as much as the video. (Our OPV by Safety Vision features an industry-leading 900 MHz audio unit and a discreet, backseat-mounted microphone.) “You might catch two perps back there trying to get their stories straight, or you might get audiotaped proof of consent to search on a drug interdiction: Later, they can’t say they didn’t consent.” Concludes Wegner, “Nobody likes to get arrested–and sometimes people lie. These in-car video systems catch those lies.”

We enjoyed our visit with Officers Ruemke (who drives a Charger on duty) and Wegner (who drives a pickup truck on duty, claiming good naturedly that he does “all the grunt work”). It’s our privilege and pleasure to serve these and other public servants. After all, that’s what they do for us–every day.

- Christine Portillo, Marketing Director