Police Record Calls Using Audio, Video
The Bluffton Police Department and Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office in South Carolina have been using digital audio and video recording to capture on-the-scene evidence. Recording eyewitnesses and victim statements at the scene is one way to ensure stories do not change when a trial comes to court.
Furthermore, South Carolina Attorney General Henry McMaster notes that police do not have to inform suspects that they are being recorded.
In some cases, South Carolina police are using small microphones attached to their lapels or collars to record audio from on-the-scene interviews. Audio information can also be stored on a laptop’s hard drive affixed in the patrol car, which means that audio recording devices will have copious room for recording.
The Bluffton Police Department plans to spend about $18,000 on a central server to archive and track their audio recordings, according to Chief David McAllister.
Abstracted by the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center (NLECTC) from the State (SC); 03/25/07.