Police cruiser cameras can see everything. In Shreveport this essential tool to fight crime is now better than ever. Sergeant Brian Wheeler says, "It's a lot faster now that we have the digital camera system in place, we're able to immediately view video at the scene of an event." From simple documentation reasons, to evidence in the courtroom, the new cameras are making things much easier for police officers. The digital video system has many advantages. Images are more clear, which means zooming in on license plates or suspects faces puts more criminals behind bars. And, in a matter of minutes, the video can be viewed on any computer back at the station. Before shift change, police officers download their video onto the server using one of the 9 antennae mounted around the station. With 158 cameras downloading can sometimes mean down time for some officers. Wheeler says, "The time we have now varies from 8-10 minutes we've had incidents where it takes over an hour to download. This is a new system, we just got it in the middle of last year and we are working through some issues. Additional antennas are coming soon and will be placed around the city so officers can download their video anywhere in Shreveport. But, for now, the advantages far outweigh any any problems that may come along.
