By Laura C. Morel
The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS, Texas — Video cameras are everywhere: on laptops, on iPods, on cellphones - even on police officers’ uniforms.
About 75 Texas police agencies, including Frisco, Little Elm and the Denton County Constable Offices, use CopVu, a small camera that clips on an officer’s uniform. The camera allows officers to record anything from a traffic stop to a crime scene and is a valuable tool in court proceedings.
“The juries want to see what the officers see,” said Little Elm police Capt. Rodney Harrison. “It lets people see things from the officer’s perspective.”
Harrison said Little Elm has been using CopVu for more than two years. Its three motorcycle officers and animal-control officer wear them.
The 2-by-3-inch cameras resemble a pager. They are worn on the chest area and can record up to four hours of video. Frisco police Sgt. Jeff Haynes said his department’s three motorcycle officers have been testing the cameras for about four months.
Before using CopVu, Haynes said, the unit officers had cameras installed on their motorcycles, which drained the battery quickly and required two to three battery replacements a year.
“We were just looking for an option to decrease expenses … on replacing batteries,” Haynes said.
At the Denton County Constable Offices, two of its six precincts are also using the cameras. Precinct 2 Constable Michael A. Truitt said his office has been using CopVu for the last four weeks.
“Unlike car videos, the CopVu is on the person. … This gives us information as to what’s going on in front of the officer,” Truitt said.
With its $895 price tag, CopVu also saves on expenses. A complete car video system can cost about $2,500, Truitt said.
At Precinct 3, where CopVu has been in use since February, Constable Jerry Raburn said the camera can also protect authorities from false accusations and complaints. If a complaint is filed against one of his deputy constables, Raburn said, he can review the video to help determine if the complaint has merit.
“It’s another way to cover us from somebody trying to make up something that we’ve done or said,” he said.
Ken Teese, executive vice president of sales for WatchGuard Video, the Allen-based company that sells CopVu, said the main benefit of the clip-on camera is “capturing the truth.”
But the device does have some drawbacks, police said. Haynes said CopVu can only record what’s in front of the officer. Car video systems automatically begin recording when the motorcycle’s lights are switched on. But officers have to remember to turn on CopVu, Haynes said.
And Truitt said because CopVu can only record up to four hours, the video has to be downloaded onto a computer before it can record again. But overall, Truitt said his office is “happy with it.”
Teese said the camera uses a special cable to download footage to a computer. If a camera is lost, the “average person” can’t download the video without the cable, he said.
“It’s intended to be used for law enforcement,” Teese said.
Another clip-on camera on the market is Vievu, which is similar to CopVu and costs about $1,000. In 2009, Watauga police purchased three Vievu cameras, which are used by its motorcycle officers.
Watauga police Sgt. Bobby Faglie said that, unlike cameras installed on motorcycles, Vievu cameras don’t overheat in high temperatures.
“It’s the greatest invention since sliced bread,” Faglie said.
Copyright 2011 The Dallas Morning News