View to a Crime

A hostage standoff at a local bank is going into its sixth hour and top commanders at the scene and police headquarters are trying to determine whether the SWAT team should storm in.

Using satellite technology called Global Positioning Systems, a police helicopter beams live pictures of the drama to headquarters, to officers at the scene as well as to the FBI and local fire department.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Department this month took a first step in this direction, installing video downlinks from the department’s two surveillance helicopters to various facilities.

The system will feed live footage from the helicopters, similar to what local television news choppers provide. But officials said their video systems are far more advanced and include night-vision equipment and zoom capabilities.

“This could quite possibly be one of the most important developments for law enforcement agencies in the 21st century,” said Sheriff Mike Carona when he unveiled the new technology.

Until now, police choppers flying over the scene of breaking incidents relied on information transmitted over the radio. Officials said having a live bird’s-eye view gives more people a chance to analyze the situation and develop a response plan.

“It’s like watching a football game,” said Lt. Orville King, who is in charge of air support for the department. “If you see it from the first row, you can’t really see anything, but if you see it from the air you get a much better [view].”

The new technology--which costs about $500,000--can be used during natural emergencies, rescues, civil unrest or at major crime scenes. It provides long-range transmissions at a frequency with hardly any interference from other broadcasters, King said.

The footage will be shot from the helicopter, bounced off a satellite, beamed to the command center and broadcast to sheriff’s facilities in Loma Ridge and Santa Ana. The video can also be fed to a mobile command center, providing top brass with live footage of any incidents and making strategic decisions easier.

The Sheriff’s Department’s two helicopters handle more than 3,500 calls and assist in 400 arrests annually. They can respond five to 10 times faster than patrol cars, reaching any destination in the county within 15 minutes, said Carona.

An added benefit is the system’s infrared capabilities, which will improve night surveillance and searches for fleeing suspects, said Carona. (Infrared cameras can track heat sources such as humans, animals or even cars.)

“The watch commander will be able to watch an event such as a car chase or a major crime scene . . . like a hostage situation,” said Lt. Collin Murphy of the Sheriff’s Department. “We can use it at a safe distance . . . to decide what action we’re going to take.”

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Robo Cops

Here are additional cutting-edge police devices that are coming into use or currently under development:

* Bulletproof vest with a sensor that would alert officer when a person approaches from behind.

* Global positioning system to track parolees and sex offenders.

* Computers that translate the officer’s spoken words into typed police reports.

* Weapons scanners that can detect guns and other items through clothing from as far away as 60 feet.

* Transmitters the size of a videocassette that can be magnetically attached to a car (on undercarriage or concealed inside). By sending a signal to a radio tower, the devices enable police to track a vehicle’s movements on a computerized street map at a police station.

Source: Times reports