Cutting Edge of Technology

	Updated 1/18/2007 Version 12 Draft Digital Video Systems Minimum Performance Specifications		Digital Imaging for Safe Schools: A Public Safety Response to Critical Incidents	“To enhance law enforcement's understanding, acquisition, and use of technology”
	Digital In-Car Video Systems: Developing Minimum Performance Specifications		Electro-Muscular Disruption Technology: A Nine-Step Strategy for Effective Deployment
	National Police Pursuit Database		Identifying Critical Technology Needs: Survey Results Fall 2005

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This project is funded by a grant from the National Institute of Justice.

Digital Video Systems for Public Safety:
Developing Minimum Performance Specifications

Responding to needs from the field, the IACP, in partnership with the National Institute of Justice, Office of Science and Technology, has completed the first draft of the Digital In-Car Video Specifications for law enforcement. The IACP is working with representatives from law enforcement, industry and federal partners to develop comprehensive digital in-car camera minimum performance specifications, and a testing and certification program.

The objectives of this collaborative effort are: To provide law enforcement with specifications and requirements needed to ensure and acquire safe and reliable digital in-car camera operating systems To provide guidance for manufacturers on the minimum performance specifications and requirements their products need to perform in a law enforcement environment.

These specifications and requirements will provide for consistent evidentiary use of recorded sounds and images during the operation of the systems. The specifications are currently in draft format and have not been officially approved. The final document will include a model Request for Proposal (RFP) for law enforcement agencies to assist in their acquisition of these systems.

Upon final approval by the IACP, these specifications will apply to any mobile digital video equipment delivered to a law enforcement agency 18 months from the final date of publication of the minimum performance specifications and must show proof of meeting these specifications.

A link to the current draft specifications document (Version 12) is below.

Digital In-Car Video Systems: Developing Minimum Performance Specifications (PDF)

For more information on this process, please contact cuttingedge@theiacp.org

Electro-Muscular Disruption Technology:
A Nine-Step Strategy for Effective Deployment

Electro-Muscular Disruption Technology (EMDT) is a group of devices that use a high-voltage, low power charge of electricity to induce involuntary muscle contractions that cause temporary incapacitation. More police departments are using EMDT on resisting subjects, with a minimum of serious injuries or lethality. The increased use of these less lethal weapons, however, has raised concerns about the safety of EMDT, as well as the liability and risks associated with deployment of products such as those made by the major manufacturers, including TASER®, STINGER®, and Law Enforcement Associates.

To address these deployment concerns, the IACP, with grant support from the National Institute of Justice, and in collaboration with the Montgomery County Maryland Police Department, developed an Executive Brief to inform law enforcement leadership on deployment challenges surrounding EMDT technology. The brief offers a systematic guide to aid law enforcement agencies in selecting, acquiring, and using EMDT. Additionally the brief assists law enforcement leadership in developing policies, procedures, and training curricula for the communities they serve by focusing on technology management, rather than EMDT technology itself.

An appendix of references and resources related to the EMDT technology is also included in the brief.

Electro-Muscular Disruption Technology: A Nine-Step Strategy for Effective Deployment (PDF)

Less lethal technology resources for the law enforcement community:

• IACP In-Custody Sudden Death Study project (Coming soon)
• www.Less-lethal.org

For additional information on this topic, contact Al Arena at arena@theiacp.org.

Digital Imaging for Safe Schools:
A Public Safety Response to Critical Incidents

	Arlington and Fairfax counties in Virginia partnered with the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) in a National Institute of Justice-funded project to employ digital images taken in schools as the foundation for constructing virtual classrooms to be used during a critical incident. With the photos compiled from each school, first responders arriving on scene have access to school maps and floor plans either through the Internet or on a CD-ROM. They can then use the 360-degree images to quickly ascertain trouble spots and develop a tactical plan even before entering the building. The result of this partnership is a how-to resource guide for public safety practitioners and school administrators to use in developing their own response plans. The guide, published by the IACP Cutting Edge of Technology Project, is titled "Digital Imaging for Safe Schools: A Public Safety Response to Critical Incidents." Click below to download the guide in PDF format: Digital Imaging for Safe Schools: A Public Safety Response to Critical Incident Digital Imaging for Safe Schools: Quick Reference Guide for Digital Imaging
For Additional information on this project, contact Al Arena at arena@theiacp.org.

National Police Pursuit Database maintenance

This user-friendly web-based database for storing pursuit information enables law enforcement leaders to set pursuit guidelines, make informed policy and training decisions, and generate statistical reports to assist in analysis and comparison with other jurisdictions.

With more than 7,000 pursuits in the database, the IACP intends to conduct a statistical analysis of the data; publish a report of our findings; and correlate information from a survey of users with suggestions for promoting the database to a broader community.

Identifying Critical Technology Needs: Technology Survey Results Fall 2005

An online survey was conducted to identify the most critical technology needs for law enforcement. The results of this survey are presented in this report, and represent a staring point from which to build a strategy for research and analysis of the issues that are impacting both large an small departments nationwide.

Previous publications:

	Managing Police Pursuits Executive Brief (2004) (PDF)
	The Use of CCTV/Video Cameras in Law Enforcement Executive Brief (2001) (PDF)