Seeing police dogs
on television is nothing new, however, police dogs are now actually doing the
camera work for themselves. The Victoria Police Dog Squad has just
introduced Dog Cam. Dog Cam involves cutting edge camera technology to equip
police dogs with head-mounted cameras. According to Assistant Commissioner Ray
Shuey the new technology would expand the capabilities of the Dog Squad
significantly.
The lightweight Dog
Cam camera is positioned on the animal’s head, between the ears. This is then
connected to a transmitter and small battery pack on a lightweight harness
around the dog’s body – together weighing just over 3.5kg. Pictures are then
transmitted to a portable receiver where a police officer can view the dog’s
progress on a LCD monitor. Dog Cam was designed to allow the animal to work
independent of its handler.
During
the launch of Dog Cam Assistant Commissioner Shuey stated;
"This new
technology enables us to view locations, inaccessible to people, through the dog’s
eyes. For example, when a small child is trapped in a drain pipe, searching for
missing people in thick bushland and searching through small cavities in the
event of a building collapse."
In urban situations
the transmitter is able to send pictures through double brick walls to the
remote receiver, making the unit particularly valuable in siege or stand off
situations.
Assistant
Commissioner Shuey further stated;
"In a siege
situation we can send a dog into a building and get an accurate picture of what
is happening before sending in a police member. This means police officers will
be at less risk in these situations."
