System Functionality
- It was a big year for the Visual Labs in-car camera system. Agencies across the country have enjoyed full integration with their smartphone body cameras, especially with respect to linked camera activations and automatically synced case numbers. Many are surprised to find that this full-featured system is available at a 10x cost savings compared to proprietary, hardware-centric in-car camera systems. And yes, it is not “too good to be true.”
- We also fully integrated our redaction software (FastRedaction, which we previously acquired), into the Visual Labs evidence management platform. Washington County, Minnesota Sheriff’s Office Records Unit Supervisor Amy Larsen explained, "What took me almost 16 hours to redact using our existing system now only takes about one hour."
Agency Spotlight: State of Georgia - Department of Natural Resources
In the spring, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources implemented the Visual Labs smartphone body camera solution after evaluating many other options. Their game wardens and administrative staff were trained remotely due to the pandemic, and they put the system to good use right away. They documented social distancing enforcement, and during summer protests, leveraged the real-time location and livestreaming features to maintain situational awareness in and around downtown Atlanta.
New Device: Samsung XCover PRO
Since we are hardware and carrier agnostic, we are able to offer a wide variety of options to our customers. In addition, the free smartphone upgrade opportunities offered by major carriers allow agencies to always have the latest equipment. One popular device has been the Samsung XCover PRO, which is now offered on all cellular carriers. It is rugged (IP 68 and MIL-810G) and features multiple rear cameras, two programmable buttons, a replaceable battery, and a visible LED light. Surely, 2021 will bring even more devices from a variety of manufacturers.
Those We Lost
In 2020, we had to unexpectedly say farewell to two gentlemen with big hearts:
- Georgia DNR Captain Stan Elrod was killed by a drunk driver while jogging as part of the department’s wellness program. During our time working with him, he was always attentive to his officers’ needs to make sure their body camera experience went as smoothly as possible.
- Retired Las Vegas Assistant Sheriff Ray Flynn had a notable influence on Visual Labs as we navigated the intersections between law enforcement and cellular connectivity, especially with respect to FirstNet. It will be hard to forget the big smile and firm handshake he would bring to conferences and social events.
We wish you all a safe, healthy, and happy holiday season and look forward to the year to come.