Don’t move, you’re on Canine Camera!
THEY can already stop a criminal in his tracks. Now police dogs will be able to help their masters in new ways after being fitted with head-mounted video cameras.
The £10,000 devices transmit live footage back to a colour monitor for officers to watch.
Police believe the technology will help them gather evidence during drug busts or when dogs chase offenders.
Staffordshire is the first force to pilot the so-called ‘FidoCam’ digital cameras. Twenty officers and dogs from its dog support unit will use the technology over the next year.
Inspector Chris Dawson said: ‘This bit of kit is fantastic. It attaches to the dog’s head and we can get a live view of what they are seeing.
‘If we are searching for a dangerous person we can send the dog into a building to search for them, and when they indicate a find by barking we will be able to see exactly what or who they have found. This will provide us with more information so we can deal with the situation safely and appropriately.
‘It will also be extremely useful when searching difficult or inaccessible areas for missing people; a dog can make its way through dense woodland and undergrowth very quickly. The handler will still maintain verbal contact with the dog so this camera will allow them to search vast areas a lot faster.
‘Advancements in technology mean the signal is much stronger and the picture is clear and crisp.’
The live footage can be recorded and used as evidence.