Oakland Mayor Says Police Body Cameras Have Cut Use-Of-Force Incidents Significantly In 5 Years
December 17th, 2014, CBS Bay Area
Oakland Mayor Jean Quan said Wednesday that there’s been a “significant decrease” in use-of-force incidents by her city’s police officers since they began wearing body cameras four years ago.
Quan said Oakland police officers had 2,186 use-of-force incidents in 2009, the last year that no officers wore body cameras, and that number declined to 836 such incidents last year and to only 572 incidents so far this year, with just two weeks remaining.
Read full article
Body cams for cops
December 4th, 2014, CNBC
Can police cameras make a difference? Steve Ward, Vievu founder and CEO, discusses how cameras for cops reduce police complaints, and explains the capabilities of the device.
Watch video
Seattle Company Supplies Nation’s Police With Body Cams
December 4th, 2014, KUOW.org
Marcie Sillman talks with Vievu CEO Steve Ward, who is also a former SWAT officer with the Seattle police, about his company’s body cameras that have been implemented by 4,000 police agencies nationwide.
Listen here
Will Police Body Cameras Really Make a Difference
December 3rd, 2014, Bloomberg TV
VIEVU President Steve Lovell discusses whether police body cameras will help deter crime. He speaks with Bloomberg’s Pimm Fox on “Taking Stock.”
Watch video
Maker Of Body Cams Focusing On New Fed Funding For Cops
December 2nd, 2014, GPB News
To hear Steve Ward tell it, his company VIEVU – top manufacturer of body cameras for police, was receiving a lot of inquiries from U.S. law enforcement agencies long before the Ferguson police shooting commanded the nation’s attention.
“We have customers that have already gone through a trial of our products and have decided they want it,” Ward told GPB during a phone interview. “But they have to wait for budgetary approvals or for some kind of grant.”
Read full article
Police Body Cameras Already in Testing Phase in New York City
December 2nd, 2014, Wall Street Journal
The White House is asking lawmakers for roughly $75 million for some 50,000 body cameras to be worn by police officers, the latest federal effort to respond to racial tensions and protests in Ferguson, Mo.
In New York, officers are already testing two types of officer body cameras in an effort make interactions between police and citizens more transparent.
Some 5,000 police departments nationwide now use body cameras and the NYPD will be the largest police force in the nation to use the technology. It has been championed by elected officials, community leaders and some judges as a potential remedy to tense and sometimes fatal interactions between law-enforcement officials and the people they encounter.
Read full article
Police can store body-cam video in secure Azure cloud
November 14th, 2014, GCN
The Boston Marathon bombings of 2013 and the Ferguson, Mo., police shooting case have made clear the important role of video in law enforcement. What’s muddier, however, is how police departments can store exponentially growing terabytes of data and how they can do so according to federal security policies.
A new partnership between Microsoft and VIEVU, a body-wearable camera maker, aims to solve that problem. Now, at the end of their shifts, officers remove their cameras and transfer the video they took wirelessly or via a direct connection to VIEVU’s Veripatrol software. Veripatrol sends the information to Microsoft’s soon-to-be-released Azure Government Cloud, where it is stored in compliance with policy approved by the FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Division.
Read full article
VIEVU, Microsoft partner to develop CJIS-compliant cloud platform for police video
November 14th, 2014, Security InfoWatch
With the proliferation of body-worn surveillance solutions throughout the law enforcement and public safety community over the past several years, there has also been a subsequent increase in demand for solutions that help these agencies retain the massive amounts of video they are taking in on a daily basis. Storing video in the cloud would be one of the most cost-effective and efficient methods for retaining that data, however, concerns about meeting the FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services strict security policies have held many agencies back from making the migration to the cloud.
Read full article
Audio: Vievu’s wearable cameras designed for law enforcement & more: Pres. Steve Lovell
September 15th, 2014, Boot Camp
Listen Here
VIEVU² is the camera that’s tough enough for cops, but made for everyone else
September 9th, 2014, Digital Trends
The point-of-view wearable camera market is starting to get a little crowded, from lifelogging devices like the Narrative Clip and Autographer to action cams from GoPro, Sony, etc. (seriously, the list is getting long). So, how can a company carve itself a slice of this pie when it’s seemingly dominated by GoPro’s Hero camcorders? For a company called Vievu, it means targeting a niche customer and offering a solution that differs from what the “lifestyle” wearable cameras are after.
Read full article
Video: Body camera mfg. addresses benefits of police video
September 5th, 2014, PoliceOne
Steve Ward, CEO of body camera manufacturer VIEVU, appeared on FOX’s Tech Take to discuss the increase in discussions about body worn video cameras for officers and how they can help officers avoid problems by capturing clear video evidence of on duty encounters. Ward walked through some of the benefits as well as how his company’s offering, the LE3, functions in capturing and transmitting videos. Watch the full interview below.
Read full article
Make Cops Wear Cameras
August 14th, 2014, Time.com
Michael Brown, an unarmed 18-year-old, shot to death in Ferguson, Missouri, by police. Eric Garner, a 43-year-old New Yorker, dies from a police chokehold. John Crawford III, 22, shot and killed by police in a Walmart outside of Dayton, Ohio. Enough is enough. Each of these incidents has an unmistakable racial dimension—all of the victims were black and all or most of arresting officers were white–that threatens the always tense relationships between law enforcement and African Americans. As important, the circumstances of each death are hotly contested, with the police telling one story and witnesses (if any) offering up very different narratives.Brown’s death in particular is raising major ongoing protests precisely because, contrary to police accounts, witnesses claim that he had his hands up in the air in surrender when he was shot. The result is less trust in police, a situation that raises tensions across the board.
Read full article
Mass surveillance, Watch Dogs and the militarized police: When strapping cameras on people is a good idea
August 14th, 2014, Polygon
When an unnamed Ferguson, Missouri, police officer stopped Michael Brown on the street, Brown was walking alongside his friend Dorian Johnson. Johnson and that police officer are the only witnesses to the interaction that ultimately ended with Brown’s death. That police shooting has led to a week filled with protests, a week marred by accusations of police violence. One photograph has stood out as emblematic of the police response to these protests. It’s a photo of an African-American man, arms raised to surrender, walking backward. Nearly a dozen heavily armed St. Louis County officers march towards him. But look closely at the picture above. Do you see it? There, near the center of the photo, bolted to one of the officer’s black helmets. It’s a video camera.
Read full article
VIEVU Announces Availability of VIEVU2, Military-Grade Wearable Wi-Fi Video Camera Designed for the Professional Workforce
August 14th, 2014, Officer.com
VIEVU, the industry leader in body worn video (BWV) for Law Enforcement today announced availability of its VIEVU², the first ruggedized, wearable video camera for “Prosumers” and the professional workforce built on the same military-grade technology used by law enforcement and government agencies. The VIEVU² camera protects against erroneous accountability/liability, efficiently and accurately documents claims, and mitigates workplace theft while C-level and other executives can use it to document meetings or other important employee interactions.
Read full article
Keeping Everyone Honest With On-Body Video
June 28th, 2014, Campus Safety
Take one look at all of the cat videos on YouTube and you’ll know — if you don’t already — that people love taking video. Although the images of fluffy playing the piano are adorable and harmless, those taken by the public of campus cops making arrests can lead to strained police-community relations, litigation and protests, especially if the video only captures part of an incident. Fortunately, officer-worn camera technology can provide objective documentation of what occurred from the beginning of an encounter to the end.
Read full article
VIEVU Wearable Wi-Fi Video Camera
June 24th, 2014, HVACR Business
The VIEVU² is the first ruggedized, wearable video camera for the professional workforce built on the same military-grade technology used by law enforcement and government agencies. The VIEVU² camera protects against erroneous accountability/liability, efficiently and accurately documents claims and mitigates workplace theft while C-level and other executives can use it to document meetings or other important employee interactions.
10 Reasons Cops Should Use Body-Worn Cameras
May 26th, 2014, Tactical-Life
Body-worn cameras are becoming more and more popular with law enforcement officers. With all of the lawsuits today against LEOs, they only make sense, as these cameras, like the VIEVU LE3, can record exactly how situations, including arrests, unfold for juries and review boards, often exonerating the officer in question. But there are more reasons why police should consider wearing body-worn cameras every time they set out on patrol. Read on to learn more.
Read full article
VIEVU LE3 Body Worn Camera Review
May 9, 2014, Officer.com
Almost five years ago I was introduced to a wearable body camera for law enforcement manufactured by a company called VIEVU. The small camera clipped or pinned on to your uniform (or other clothing) and also came with a windshield mount so it could be used as a dashcam if you so desired. At that time, all the body-worn cameras I was familiar with were either too bulky to be comfortable, required a separate microphone to be worn as well, or were fragile.
Yes, I can think of one or two examples those descriptive phrases wouldn’t fit, but those held their own challenges like not being compatible with protective equipment or short battery lives. I was impressed with the VIEVU PVR Pro-2 way back in November of 2009 and now, having been introduced to the VIEVU LE3, I continue to be impressed. The technology is simple to use, rugged enough to perform and versatile enough to fulfill more than one mission.
Read full article
Police departments embrace wearable cameras across the country
April 13th, 2014, The Bright News
Police departments are embracing wearable cameras across the country, but there are still questions about the use of these devices. The small cameras can be found in a pocket or attached to the uniform, and they are an easy way to record activity. Officers also have mixed reactions to the wearable cameras, but the use of this technology is growing. Read full article
Novato Police to Be Outfitted with Body Worn Cameras
March 26 2014, Novato Patch
Novato police are joining the ranks of officers who will be wearing body cameras. The Novato City Council last week approved the purchase of 45 body worn cameras that will be deployed within the patrol division and the Novato Response Team., Lt. Jennifer Welch said. Officers in the traffic section have been wearing the cameras for the past several years. Now, the cameras will be used department wide, the lieutenant said.
Read full article
Ex Cop: Everyone Behaves Better When They’re on Video
March 25, 2014, Reason.tv
Civilians shoot and upload police encounters to the Internet everyday using tiny cameras on their cell phones and other mobile devices. In fact it may be easier than ever to keep the police accountable with the technology we all carry around in our pockets. But police are looking to keep civilians accountable too by wearing cameras of their own. Reason TV sat down with former Seattle Police officer Steve Ward, who left the force to start Vievu, a company that makes body cameras for police officers.
Read full article
Fairfield police using new body worn video camera system
February 18, 2014, The Reporter
The Fairfield Police Department has added a new tool to it’s patrol, traffic and special operations teams’ tool box.
The department is now utilizing VIEVU Body Worn Video Cameras. The camera is a secure, high-resolution video camera, which is approximately the size of a pager that records both audio and video. The department has more than 100 officers in its patrol division, traffic unit and special operations team using the cameras and globally the cameras are used by more than 3,000 law enforcement agencies in more than 15 countries.
“The Fairfield Police Department’s use of Body Worn Video Camera technology will provide value in enhancing officer safety, reduction of liability, assist with prosecution and case resolution, and further promote professionalism and accountability,” a press release announcing the camera use notes.
Read full article
VIEVU adds high-definition capability to wearable law-enforcement camera
January 16, 2014, Urgent Communications
Seattle-based VIEVU this week announced the LE3, the latest iteration of the company’s wearable camera for law enforcement. Several new capabilities were added, most notably the ability to operate in both high-definition and standard-definition modes. The company accomplished this by moving to the H.264 compression scheme and by quadrupling the camera’s internal memory, from 4 GB to 16 GB.
VIEVU also decided to alter the camera’s lens and consulted with a forensic evidence expert who guided the engineering process, said Steve Lovell, the company’s vice president. “We wanted to produce the best forensic video on the market,” Lovell said. “We decided on what’s called a flat image, which means that there’s no distortion because of the field of view. It turned out that ideal field of view is between 65-70 degrees, so we designed our lens with a 68-degree field of view.
Read full article
Q&A: Deputy Chief Andrew Acord on Dallas officers’ planned shift to wearing uniform cams
January 11, 2014, Dallas Morning News
The department moved forward with the camera program after a surveillance video captured an officer shooting a mentally ill man, who had a knife, while the man was standing still with his arms at his side.
During a news conference announcing the firing of the officer in October, Chief David Brown called uniform-worn cameras “the future of law enforcement.”
Read full article
VIEVU Announces LE3, Its First HD Wearable Camera for Cops, Security and Law Enforcement Industry
January 6, 2014, GlobeNewswire
VIEVU the industry leader in body worn video (BWV) today announced availability of its LE3, a major upgrade to the company’s industry-leading wearable. The LE3 is a highly secure HD video camera designed for law enforcement’s usability and evidence standards. VIEVU will showcase LE3 and its recently launched “prosumer” camera VIEVU2 at CES 2014, January 6-9th, Booth 80228.
VIEVU wearable cameras for police, private security and corporate applications, boast an 80 percent market share and is used by more than 3,100 agencies in 16 countries.
Read full article