Page 34 - Security Today, September/October 2023

“This should allow for flexible placement that captures a useful recording from each wearer’s point of view, regardless of their height, uniform or equipment requirements.” are largely lost. In addition, encoding video at H.265 takes more processing horsepower, which negatively impacts battery life. So, while H.265 is an excellent choice for security cameras and other specific use cases, it’s not necessarily beneficial for BWCs. Full HD video quality at 1080p or 720p may overwhelm exist- ing network infrastructure that cannot support multiple officers uploading video to the cloud when footage needs to be made available quickly or before the next shift needs to use the cam- eras. Bitrate ultimately dictates the size of a video file, and the frame per second rate video rate directly impacts smooth motion capture. For example, it may be better to capture events with fast motion at lower resolution (720p), higher fps, and higher bitrate vs higher resolution (1080p) with lower fps and lower bitrate. Detailed scenes with less motion may benefit from higher res- olution with lower fps and bitrate helping control the resulting file size. For all these reasons, format flexibility is key. Make sure that any camera you choose supports a range of resolutions and bitrates that allows you to find the optimum balance of quality versus efficiency that works with your underlying infrastructure. Capturing the best video quality under the widest range of con- ditions requires the sensor to perform well in low light environments while still delivering color information. However, when ambient light goes below a threshold, it is desirable for a BWC to switch over to monochrome black and white at the lowest light levels. Audio quality. Audio can be just as important as video when it comes to understanding an event, so the quality of a BWC audio recording is crucial. The camera must capture clear and audible audio of the conversations that take place during interactions. Because volumes can fluctuate wildly from loud to soft, the camera needs to be able to automatically compress and limit loud sounds from distorting the feed, while allowing reduced level au- dio to be clearly heard. Test to ensure any BWC under consider- ation can manage a wide dynamic range, i.e., peaks and valleys in audio levels, and that the pickup pattern is omnidirectional. One differentiator among BWC systems is the way the total sys- tem manages and controls multiple audio feeds from different cam- eras and in-vehicle recording devices. Digital evidence management systems (DEMS) such as i-PRO’s UDETM or CloUDETM Powered by Genetec will automatically time-align all video and audio feeds. Battery runtime. BWCs must be ready to record each critical moment or event throughout the duration of a shift. This makes access to reliable battery runtime paramount for success. Battery runtime is directly impacted by how the unit us used during a given shift, including the base configuration, persistent connec- tivity, features activated and ambient conditions. Twelve-hours of operation is a useful target because it covers most shifts. If we think of a battery as a fuel tank, then it is logi- cal to expect that fuel tank to support normal operations under normal conditions. Users should be able to record multiple inci- dents, bracketed by periods of being on standby. Ambient temperature can have a significant impact since bat- tery chemistry and physics reveal that most batteries last longer in warmer temperatures than cold. Look for clear data from a BWC manufacturer in the form of a chart showing battery run- time against features and temperature to know how the system will work in your environment. Since users should always have full confidence in BWC/battery readiness, it is imperative that a BWC is designed with a field swappable battery. The camera and the battery should be sufficiently water resis- tant that regardless of external conditions, the battery and cam- era are never compromised during a battery swap. Finally, since any battery will eventually degrade with constant use, expect a useable service life of two to three years before the battery pack needs to be replaced. Actual usage and number of full charging cycles will impact this service life. Video storage capacity, management and integration. One of the most significant differentiators between BWC systems is in the way they store, manage, and integrate digital evidence with your existing systems. The video and audio recordings from BWCs contain sensitive data requiring strong privacy and secu- rity features to protect the evidence itself and users of the system. Managing any significant amount of digital evidence is a com- plex and tedious job, unless the selected DEMS provides useful tools for organizing, classifying, accessing, and retaining videos consistently and easily. One powerful option is integrating the BWCs and DEMS with a Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) and Record Management System (RMS). Many times, officers and resources assigned to a call for service are bound together in the CAD system as responding to an incident. If any of the attending officers are not 100% consistent in their administrative responsi- bilities after the event is finished, the result may be “unclassified” video that is not correctly associated to the event. Another type of integration automates activation of BWC re- cording in response to specific events. For many departments, if a weapon is drawn from its holster, the BWC must immediately start recording. Officers must remain completely focused on protecting the public interest and themselves during such an event, so auto- mated blue-tooth triggering of the BWC from the holster is a reli- able way to ensure the camera is recording when a weapon is drawn. Finally, all recording, tagging, access and authentication events need to be logged and tracked to establish a clear chain of custody with such potentially sensitive recordings which are, in fact, essential evidence in many cases. Detailed system logging and audit features are required to support the judicial process and enforce policies. Video and audio data must be encrypted at rest and in mo- tion with FIPS and CJIS compliant methods. David O’Connor is the director of the Public Safety Division at i-PRO Americas Inc. 34 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2023 | SECURITY TODAY LAW ENFORCEMENT