Forces procure surveillance system for dog units
6/7/12
UNITED KINGDOM
Forces procure surveillance system for dog units
Source: Police Product Insight Magazine June/July 2012 issue
Two British police forces are using dog-mounted camera surveillance systems to deal with a number of scenarios, such as firearms incidents. Lancashire Police procured the K9 Cam, developed by Tactical Electronics, as a replacement for its existing “Fido” analogue systems. Due to the positive feedback from the force, Devon and Cornwall Police has also adopted the system. Sergeant Nick Everett, of Lancashire Police Dog Unit, said: “The main benefit over the existing system is the location of the camera on the dog’s back. This gives the handler a wider, more stable picture on the monitor and does not concern the dog at all. The onboard recording facility enables us to review every deployment and to replay this footage should we lose the live image during a complex search.” Any number of monitors can be added, enabling multiple views of the K9 Cam and other tactical assets.
The force has been sharing its experiences with the system with other dog units in the UK, says Lancashire police dog instructor PC Simon Harwood. Using the “POLKA” portal, a secure online space operated by
the National Police Improvement Agency (NPIA), the UK policing community is able share knowledge and experience. It can be accessed via the Police National Network. “This has further added to the collaborative approach taken by Lancashire. We are pleased Lancashire police dog unit is at the forefront of developing this very effective and rugged rapid deployment system. The use of this system ensures that Lancashire has yet another proportionate and auditable ‘less lethal’ technology to deploy within high threat situations,” he added.