New Technology Helps Officers Prove What Happened At Crime Scenes

Police officers in some towns are getting another set of eyes that capture the officer’s and the suspect’s every move.

Chief Robert Conway of the Sea Girt Police Department told CBS 2′s Sean Hennessey on Tuesday that the wearable cameras have been a huge help.

“It’s an awesome system,” Conway said.

Sea Girt is the first department in New Jersey to equip their officers with the new technology.

“This is a great tool for us to be able to go to the videotape to actually see what the officer did, what the officer said,” Conway said.
Unlike dashboard cameras that are limited to what happens in front of a cruiser, the wearable cameras can be placed on a collar or as a head piece. They capture everything from the officer’s viewpoint.

Police can turn it on whenever they feel it will be necessary to obtain documented evidence and the camera all but eliminates disputes between an officer and a suspect over what actually happened.

Conway touted the flexibility and transportability of the unit and believes it is an important tool in crime fighting.

“The videotape doesn’t lie,” Chief Conway said. “Somebody might take a 10-second video clip with their cell phone and it doesn’t show what our 15-minute video is going to show.”

Police are calling the tool a game changer because it eliminates uncertainty.

{CBS 2/Matzav.com Newscenter}