What the Future of Police Body Cameras Will Look Like (Part Two)

The last article covered some of the technological advancements of body-worn cameras that aren't too far off in the future. This post will continue covering the possible direction of police body cameras, and some of the potential advancements that might be further down the road.

Augmented Reality

It seems as though just about everything will be integrated with augmented reality features in the not-so-distant future. Virtual reality is already sweeping the world, and it's only rational that AR will soon be seen in police departments. How so? Consider an officer is in a situation where they find an explosive device. The bomb squad is 10 minutes out, but there are only five minutes left on the counter. Rather than succumbing to their fate, running away in a frenzy, or anything else, the AR system would recognize the device and show the officer the schematics, and thus how to diffuse it. There are multiple other situations where augmented reality could be quite useful, but that example get's the point across.

Camera-Glasses

Just like every spy movie you've ever seen where there's a camera built into the frame of a pair of glasses, police officers might soon follow suit. The technology is there, and everyone has probably heard of the Google Glass, a piece of wearable smart technology developed by Google. The camera would then be mounted in the glasses, giving a sincere first-hand account of officer interactions. Eventually, the lens would be incorporated with a type of user interface that allows officers to read and see things displayed on the inside of the lens. Going back to the facial recognition software, police officers would be able to literally see a person trigger the facial recognition program and could quickly jump into action.

Artifical Intelligence

Officers sometimes forget to turn their cameras on before entering into a confrontation, and as a result, they are often accused of intentionally being elusive. This is almost never the case, as officers tend to forget to turn the camera on as they chase down the suspect, draw their weapon, radio dispatch, and everything else an officer completes during an encounter. AI would automatically engage the body-worn cameras by recognizing a weapon removed from its holster, a heightened heart rate, the activation of sirens, and much more. This would relieve the officer of having to remember to turn their cameras on and let them focus on their jobs.

According to a Pew Research Center survey, 93% of the 8,000 officers interviewed stated that they have become more concerned about the dangers of the job. With continuous advancements to body-worn cameras, officers and citizens alike could hopefully feel safer.

If your department still doesn't have body or dash cams, call us today to get outfitted.