Devices to Speed Processing of Security Camera Pictures Unveiled

Law enforcement officials on Monday received a new crime-fighting tool that will help them speed up the processing of security camera videotapes to identify suspects more quickly and possibly result in speedier arrests.

Instead of waiting days to produce broadcast-quality videos or clear photographs from surveillance cameras, police will now be able to retrieve sharp images within minutes of a crime, officials said.

“This will help us solve some big cases,” said Los Angeles Police Department Cmdr. James McMurry.

The technology, developed by Arco Products Co., is aimed combating the thousands of convenience store holdups and bank robberies that occur locally every year.

Gerald D. Secundy, vice president of external affairs for Arco, said the device--dubbed the “Blue Box”--already has helped police nab criminals because of the speed in which high-quality pictures can be taken from surveillance cameras.

“We’re no longer dealing with fuzzy grainy pictures,” Secundy said.

Arco, which developed the technology as part of a $16-million crime-deterrence program, is donating 26 of the devices to departments throughout California, Washington, Oregon, Arizona and Nevada. Each unit costs about $7,500, company officials said.

Los Angeles police and the county Sheriff’s Department each received a unit. The company developed the technology to stem robberies at its gas stations, but the device can be used to process videos from other surveillance cameras.