WSJ: New Taser 'Shoots' Evidence; Stun-Gun Maker's Technology Lets Police Record Video

[Heidi]

SEPTEMBER 2, 2009

Taser International Inc. has spied a business opportunity in the legal battles often surrounding its controversial stun guns: a high-tech system worn by police officers that would record every minute of their shift.

The new system would be able to record and save large amounts of audio and video data that police departments could easily sift through and analyze. Taser says the system, which is still in internal beta testing, will help eliminate some of the uncertainty that often surrounds law-enforcement litigation, and help police agencies manage their video data.

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The first part of Taser's system, dubbed Axon, consists of a head-mounted camera that records high-resolution video, as well as a storage device that can hold eight hours of recording, worn inside a police officer's belt. The officer can control the system through a device mounted on his or her shirt, and it includes a privacy setting that offers the option not to record. The entire system weighs about 1.2 pounds.

Police officers would pick up their unit at the beginning of their shift and log in using a private code. At the end of the shift, they would download recorded data by plugging part of the unit into a securely mounted docking device at the police station. Encrypted video would then be transferred to multiple remote data centers. The company says evidence captured can't be deleted or altered.

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[DCKit]

1. Bet they can turn it off when they want too as well.

FAIL

[Common Sense Party]

2. Says so right in the article

"it includes a privacy setting that offers the option not to record"

But does it have an auto-erase or delete the last 2 minutes of footage button?

[anigbrowl]

3. That's reasonable

to put it crudely, if the officer goes to the toilet I think they're entitled to their privacy. Now, if they disengage the recording right before going up to confront a suspect,t hat would not be so reasonable. I'm pretty optimistic, look how many bad officers have been caught out by their own dashboard cams.

[Taitertots]

4. You don't have to pee at least once in an eight hour shift

[DCKit]

5. Geez, as if it's my fault we'd have to watch them fish out the tweezers and microscope. n/t

[TexasObserver]

6. Recommend

[Trillo]

7. "police departments could easily sift through and analyze"

wouldn't it be better for non-police citizens to sift through and analyze such recordings?