Law enforcement

In Car Video 

Digital Technology International, “DTI”, is a company specialising in the development and provision of advanced mobile video surveillance solutions for use law enforcement and public transit applications. The company’s range of public transport technologies has been developed and refined across more than a decade operating in the bus, rail and law enforcement vehicle markets. Over the past few years, DTI has delivered more than 13,000 integrated mobile video surveillance systems to global transit operators. Due to the integral feature set of the DTI proven mobile solutions, the specifications of DTI’s new taxi system exceed many international standards.

Software and Data, Vehicle Interface Modules

DTI’s purpose built Mobile Law Enforcement system provides a comprehensive multi-application solution offering the following modules:

• Recording for Internal and External Vehicle Cameras
• External Device Interfaces such as radar, lights & sirens
• Police Officer Touch Screen Data Terminal
• Vehicle GPS Location System via 3G
• WiFi or Fleet Data and Video Automated Download & Management System
• Automatic Number Plate Recognition, Route data and analysis

Fixed In Car Video System Overview

The In Car Video System utilises high quality components such as: cameras, microphones, antennas, displays allcome from DTI’s proven range of transit rated products. The MDR-5L is the central on-vehicle device on which all in car video applications are processed and managed. The MDR-5L’s powerful central processing unit is an industrial grade, single board computer that coordinates and controls multiple (simultaneous) applications. Specialised interface circuits manage numerous external inputs and event triggers including analogue, digital and serial based communications for common vehicle and speed detetction device interfaces. Battery back-up and a power management module ensures that the system runs on when there is no vehicle battery and does not discharge a weak vehicle battery.

A high speed Ethernet backbone provides wired or wireless communications between the vehicle and the station for automated data retrieval, investigation and comprehensive vehicle fleet monitoring and maintenance.

All core functions of recording, playback, data transfer/archive and display can be performed simultaneously by the MDR-5L without compromise. 

Portable - In Car Video System Overview

Based on the In Car Video System above, in conjunction with Australian Law Enforcement authorities, DTI have developed a portable In Car Video System that can be easily reinstalled to a new vehcile and redeployed within 20 minutes. On a fully charged integral battery, DTI’s portable system can run on its own power source for up to 8 hours in a vehicle or static location. Remote communication via 3G and emerging 4G networks provide ultra high speed live video streaming, vehicle GPS location plus automated notifications and event downloads. 

Video & Data Management

The central recording and management system provides the following functions:

• Up to 16 video channels recording both colour and/or monochrome IR cameras covering both internal and external activities (forward facing and side views);
• Ability to use both analogue and IP network cameras on the same system;
• An optional wireless camera may be provided for coverage of the officer away from the vehicle;
• Lip synchronised audio recording of officer and offender voice conversation and/or specified radio communication channels (automatic and/or manually activated audio recording modes);
• Officer initiated data tagging and locking of incidents or events for later download and archiving (console buttons or touch screen data terminal);
• Automated system driven data tagging of events for later download and archiving (lights, siren);
• External device interfaces for peripherals including speed radar guns and voice radio communication channels;
• Integrated vehicle location system (GPS based) with street level mapping software;
• Vehicle management interfaces with recording of brakes, speed, gears, lights, siren, turn indicators, xy- z acceleration;
• Up to 90 days of continuous on-board data storage capacity depending on application requirements;
• Automated downloading via WiFi LAN of tagged events on return of the vehicle to the station;
• Centralised data management to archive and collate all downloaded events by officer, vehicle, date time, location and tag classification;
• Periodic camera maintenance and system performance checks with a comprehensive back-end fleet management system;
• In-vehicle data terminal for officer interface, camera monitoring, event tagging and incident annotating.

A frame rate of 25 frames per second per camera is provided in the standard MDR5-L model with images recorded in 1-CIF, 2-CIF and 4CIF format, providing a range of resolutions from 352x288 pixels per image to 704x576 pixels (PAL standard). As the unit is a true hybrid recorder, additional high resolution megapixel IP cameras may be added to the system to capture scenes in the highest possible detail. Each of the 4/8/16 camera inputs can be individually configured for specific recording frame rates and image resolutions. Camera views may also be individually enhanced for optimum image quality using brightness, contrast, colour and saturation controls.

Image Compression, Security and Protection

Image compression is provided through user selectable H.264 compression algorithms. Specific compression levels and picture qualities may be user configured on a per-camera basis.

Comprehensive security information including date and time, vehicle number (registration), camera name (reference), vehicle location, vehicle speed and heading (available with the optional GPS location system sub-module) are encrypted and embedded with each recorded image for the purpose of image authentication and for evidentiary purposes in court applications.

A proprietary binary image storage database structure and a sophisticated user-password management system further protect the CCTV recordings from unauthorised access and tampering.

Advanced Software Modules

DTI’s MDR5-L multi application layer supports a number of plug-in software modules. For Law Enforcement applications, the supported modules are as follows:

Audio Surveillance

The MDR-5L surveillance subsystem system includes 2 (mono) audio channels, synchronised with the video data and may be used to record officer comments and annotations, officer to offender interactions and/or radio channel communication between the officer and base during code-red situations. The wireless transmitter can also be configured to remotely commence both video and audio recording and tag the event when it is switched on. DTI’s recording system has been optimised for lip synchronised audio recording. The audio track is seamlessly resynchronised with the video evry 500ms to ensure that recorded audible speech accurately matches video playback.

Code-Red or Officer Event Tagging  

An existing emergency trigger and/or an additiona l ‘code-red’ button ma  y be installed in order for the officer to tag events. Alternatively, the optional data terminal display (touch screen) may be used to log events, to add text based annotations and notes, to review tagged video or to enter pre-set incident classifications. All tagged events are configured to record a ‘pre’ and ‘post’ event amount of surveillance information (e.g. activating the ‘code-red’ button will tag 0-60min minutes pre-event. 

ICV Cameras

DTI’s transport rated Microdome colour cameras have been installed extensively by DTI over the past three years and have proven extremely reliable. Total installations to date by DTI include over 60,000 cameras on buses, trams, trains and motor vehciles, with data supporting average MTBF figures of 300000 hours in mobile applications.

The DTI Microdome is small, vandal resistant, unobtrusive, and extremely durable. It is waterproof to IP66 from the top and bottom of the enclosure which helps resist fogging in humid conditions. Lenses are interchangeable and can be selected from ultra wide 2.5mm through to telephoto 12mm.  A lockable full metal gyro mechanism provides pan, tilt and skew adjustment. The mechanism can be locked with grub screws to ensure that it does not drift due to vibration in transit or heat. The Microdome is overt but discrete and cannot be tampered with unless the protective cover is removed. The Micro-dome can be dash or ceiling mounted for rear or forward facing applications.

If field of view adjustment is required by the operator, DTI offer an auto focus, auto homing, motorised zoom camera assembly. The camera is dash mounted on a lockable swivel base with illuminated preset position detents plus zoom and focus control function keys on the rear panel. A high resolution “anti-shake” SONY CCD sensor and advanced polarised optics ensure that image quality is retained, even during poor visibility, harsh vibration and temperature extremes. To ensure clear visibility through glass, DTI also supply a range of polarising neutral density filters.

DTI’s High Definition 1080P cameras are a popular addition to vehicle systems as they offer 5-6 times the picture detail of the highest quality analogue PAL output cameras and provide progressive scan, non-interlaced (tear free) imaging.