Thermal Imaging Cameras In Law Enforcement

[x635 4,066]

Just wondering if any Law Enforcment agencies in the area employ or own Thermal Imaging Cameras?

I know many Law Enforcement agencies around the country are starting to use this technology, which has proven to be a valuable tool in the fire service. It can be useful to Law Enforcement during perp searches, missing person searches, evidence searches, accident victim/ejection searches, and tactical entry, to name a few.

A great technology I'd like to see employed by local ESU's, County PD, etc. I know LE Helicopters have it, but I'm talking about the handheld version.

[Guest EFFP411]

I know that East Fishkill PD was looking into buying one, but i'm not sure if they ever got it or not.

[grumpyff 1,159]

I know the NYPD's Citywide Vandals Task Force has/had thermal imaging cameras for a few years now. They use them in the subway tunnels to search for graffiti artists/other unauthorized people in the tunnels. Very easy to hide in the dark tunnels, but no way to hide the heat from your body.

[Guest partyrock]

How has the issue of TIC's being used to look "inside" a structure panned out in courts? I know there's been some controversy and federal lawsuits regarding their use.

[Remember585 815]

Croton PD has one, not sure what it is used for or what training if any they have had with it.

[huzzie59 75]

I know who was sitting home watching COPS last night.

[x134 46]

Seth, its funny you say that because there has been 2 accidents in Pleasant Valley in the past few days where the occupants have run. The fire dept has used a T.I.C. To look for them. Look out for farm animals...LOL

[20y2 43]

How has the issue of TIC's being used to look "inside" a structure panned out in courts? I know there's been some controversy and federal lawsuits regarding their use.

It has been ruled NOT legal to look into a house with a thermal imaging camera.

And yes, there are ESUs around that have TICs.

[MoFire390 118]

I know Peekskill PD was looking into one for the SWAT team or what ever they have, and I think that the NYSP in Cortlandt where looking at one for the Zone SGT's car. But, I have a question, wouldn't the TIC take away the use of the K-9 units? isn't that what K-9's are used for is look for people that run from the police? I know that they are now being trained multi-purpose.

[ONEEYEDMIC 68]

We got one

[20y2 43]

I know Peekskill PD was looking into one for the SWAT team or what ever they have, and I think that the NYSP in Cortlandt where looking at one for the Zone SGT's car. But, I have a question, wouldn't the TIC take away the use of the K-9 units? isn't that what K-9's are used for is look for people that run from the police? I know that they are now being trained multi-purpose.

They can also be used to look for evidence like shell casings or footprints before the K9 arrives and.

[Guest alsfirefighter]

wouldn't the TIC take away the use of the K-9 units?

Most agencies aren't deploying dogs. This would close the gap while awaiting one by request to arrive. Also as with anything else you use it in conjunction. Just as you still do a primary search by hand with a camera you use it with the dog. Stop Police or I'll throw my TIC at you isn't as good as stop police or I'll release me dog.

One thing to remember is that it is a different technology to "see" throw solid objects. Your standard TIC cannot see through solid objects. It can't "see" through glass either as the glass reflects the IR waves the camera interprets.

To me they are valuable for many agencies. Just like I think EMS should carry hydra rams.

[Oswegowind 17]

YPD ESU SUPERVISOR'S VEHICLE

Was recently deployed in an attempt to help find an EDP who got lost in the woods in the Hollows, that Truck4 and myself know all too much about! Not sure what the policy is on its usages though. Female was located through use of screaming and manpower...she was in the woods between the aqueduct (Summit St) and Walsh Rd Senior Housing.

Edited August 26, 2007 by Oswegowind

[Remember585 815]

One of the bonuses, in my eyes, for Police to have a TIC is for those agenices that patrol in boats. Specifically in my neck of the woods. They can cruise up the Croton River at night and use the TIC to see people hiding along the shore that don't belong there (vandals, trespassers, etc.). It is a great tool for them to have, and I'm actually amazed that they were able to secure one so easily - we had to get our first one with grant money and the purchase of our second one wasn't very smooth.

Hopefully when we try to get another one we aren't allowed to because of the PD's purchase of one. Time will tell....

[ltjay157 10]

The Redding PD in Redding CT, just received a TIC a couple of months ago through a grant. It sits in the patrol office so anyone can grab it. There's mixed feelings about having it though. Some officers like the idea, while others do not. We used to have a vehicle mounted on the DUI Expedition. That TIC hasn't worked in a few years though. I'll try to get a pic of the Expedition when I get out of work in the morning.

Edited August 27, 2007 by ltjay157

[Truck4 48]

Yonkers ESU has A TIC in Truck 4. All of the Trucks now have night vision. Night vision and the TIC are deployed with K-9 on a search to back up the dog. ESU's Marine Unit has also used the TIC, works very well on the water.

[houlidsa 76]

Uses of the TICs in law enforcment also include but not limited to: surveillance; look in area (alleys, yards) without giving your presence up with a light; pursuits in brush, fog etc; search out warm engines on vehicles; and track fresh prints or laying spots. There are models available that have video capture that take video and still images for evidence collection. A guy from my old firehouse is on a multi justistiction ESU team in northern Ulster Co., they have night vision which is great but if the subject can camoflouge themself good enough not to be detected in daylight then night vision won't see them. The best camo in the world won't hide their "thermal signature".

[ltjay157 10]

Ok, I was feeling industrious when I got out of work today and grabbed my camera. Here are some pics of Redding PD's 2003 Expedition. It used to be the supervisor's vehicle, but is now in the officer motor pool.

Edited August 27, 2007 by ltjay157

[helicopper 1,050]

How has the issue of TIC's being used to look "inside" a structure panned out in courts? I know there's been some controversy and federal lawsuits regarding their use.

KYLLO v. UNITED STATES (No. 99-8508. Argued February 20, 2001--Decided June 11, 2001) established that scans of buildings with thermal imaging devices can not be performed without a warrant - this was mainly due to erroneous and factually inaccurate testimony before the court that left the court believing these devices "can see through walls" and "allow the operator to see what people are doing within their own homes".

Canada saw the problems with the Kyllo decision and their equivalent of the Supreme Court ruled that there is no requirement for a warrant to do a thermal imaging scan of a building.

So, the answer is in the US you need a warrant to scan a building but in Canada you do not.

There was a thread on TIC a while back and I asked the same question I'll ask now: Who (if anyone) provides training to users of the handheld thermal imaging cameras? They are a great tool in the hands of a trained operator but like so many other devices - if you don't know what you're looking at you may miss something significant.

Besides Yonkers, are any other PD's using night vision goggles or other night vision equipment?

[houlidsa 76]

To answer your question the only people I know of that offer independant training for TICs is SAFE IR 1-877-4SAFEIR (1-877-472-3347) www.safe-ir.com I took there short 4 hour class at the first year of the now exstinct FDIC East in AC. It was great, I have to guess that their 2 day course would be even better.

[Guest alsfirefighter]

Chris:

If you need some more info...PM me. I have a presentation that I use for training.

On a side note...why bother with a warrant to "scan" a building when a TIC cannot see through solid objects. It will only pick up the temperature of the wall. Not what is on the other side. Prime example of this is if you eve seen video of either air support by AC130 gunships or by Cobra or Apache ground attacks in thermal imaging. You cannot see targets when they are under or in solid objects.

Ltjay...is that for thermal imaging or is that a night vision IR camera on that vehicle? I have seen and used similar equipment in the military and that was for night vision.

Edited August 28, 2007 by alsfirefighter

[khas143 13]

Chris:

If you need some more info...PM me. I have a presentation that I use for training.

On a side note...why bother with a warrant to "scan" a building when a TIC cannot see through solid objects. It will only pick up the temperature of the wall. Not what is on the other side. Prime example of this is if you eve seen video of either air support by AC130 gunships or by Cobra or Apache ground attacks in thermal imaging. You cannot see targets when they are under or in solid objects.

Ltjay...is that for thermal imaging or is that a night vision IR camera on that vehicle? I have seen and used similar equipment in the military and that was for night vision.

As far as I know, there is no law enforcement agency in the county using a TIC to "look through buildings". The primary use of a carmera in my agency was to look for patients that were thrown from a vehicle subsequent to an accident. (apparently there had been an incident in the past where a patient was "missed"). From my experience using the TIC it is a great tool for the reasons listed in previous post. I don't think any LE agency in the area has the time or patience to go from house to house looking for pot farms.

[MoFire390 118]

Most agencies aren't deploying dogs. This would close the gap while awaiting one by request to arrive. Also as with anything else you use it in conjunction. Just as you still do a primary search by hand with a camera you use it with the dog. Stop Police or I'll throw my TIC at you isn't as good as stop police or I'll release me dog.

One thing to remember is that it is a different technology to "see" throw solid objects. Your standard TIC cannot see through solid objects. It can't "see" through glass either as the glass reflects the IR waves the camera interprets.

To me they are valuable for many agencies. Just like I think EMS should carry hydra rams.

I agree with you that EMS should carry hydra rams,but not just that they should carry all forceable entry tools. thanks everyone for the help. I was in the Law Enforement program at the TECH CENTER IN YORKTOWN and never once did I ever think about this. Everyone be safe and have a great day.

[helicopper 1,050]

Chris:

If you need some more info...PM me. I have a presentation that I use for training.

On a side note...why bother with a warrant to "scan" a building when a TIC cannot see through solid objects. It will only pick up the temperature of the wall. Not what is on the other side. Prime example of this is if you eve seen video of either air support by AC130 gunships or by Cobra or Apache ground attacks in thermal imaging. You cannot see targets when they are under or in solid objects.

Ltjay...is that for thermal imaging or is that a night vision IR camera on that vehicle? I have seen and used similar equipment in the military and that was for night vision.

In other parts of the country where indoor marijuana grows are big business, narcotics investigators routinely used aviation thermal imaging to scan suspect locations to document indicators of the indoor grow operation - there are a great many ways heat vents from a structure during the grow season. These scans were used to bolster the case for a search warrant, now a search warrant is required to do the FLIR scan.

The Supreme Court relied on flawed testimony that TIC could see through walls/windows in the Kyllo decision and that changed things dramatically for law enforcement. The fact is, as you state, that FLIR/TIC can't see through anything.

I ask about the training because looking for a lost person or missing accident victim is not as straight forward as it seems. Without training, it is very likely an operator would not recognize a person or other object being sought if they were obscured by vegetation, other objects, etc.

[ltjay157 10]

ALS, it's an infrared camera. It can only detect heat signatures (well, it did when it worked). The cost to fix the camera is much more than the dept is willing to pay.

[antiquefirelt 994]

Chris:

On a side note...why bother with a warrant to "scan" a building when a TIC cannot see through solid objects. It will only pick up the temperature of the wall. Not what is on the other side.

Thank You ALS. I was reading each post wondering who the hell sells these things and does the training on them? See through buildings? Hah! That's funny. Sure the maybe you'll see a vent from someone's grow op in the basement or closet, but I'd think it would only be enough to confirm your suspicions requiring more investigative work to secure a warrant. As for TIC use in LE. Sure it has many applications when used to scan the night looking for hidden suspects, missing kids or people still floating (until the body reaches the water temp). But to know what you're looking at in a TIC you need to use it alot or you'll get a lot of false positives. (Ex:Rocks heated in the sun all day stand out at night). Most FD's don't use them enough to realize their full potential, nevermind a PD who breaks one out once in a awhile.

[Guest alsfirefighter]

I agree with you that EMS should carry hydra rams,but not just that they should carry all forceable entry tools.

Why not carry all of them? Just interested to see why you feel that way. To me the more self-sufficient the better. Can't see how it would hurt to have a hydra ram, set of irons and a sledge or maul on an ambulance as well. A lot easier and faster to have it right there, then to have to wait for an apparatus to arrive if there is no BLSFR.

As with any piece of equipment...particulary when dealing with technology training is the key to success. Far to many persons are grabbing these devices and don't know what they are looking at or for or even worse never even so much has read anything about them. I've had Chief's tell me they "are pretty much point and shoot." Which couldn't be farther from the truth. You have to know what its capabilities are..even more important what its limitations are and how you interpret what the screen is showing you. I still have firefighters that think that they are only looking for "white" or orange/red (color TIC's) outlines of victims. That is true often when looking through the camera during training. But if the background or atmosphere is warmer then the person...guess what...you are darker not lighter.

Thanks for pointing that out Chris. Now I remember a picture one manufacturer had of LE use as you mentioned. It showed high heat signature around a window (not to mention the black plastic over the window) and it was stated to be a grow operation.

Thanks Ltjay, was wondering.

[helicopper 1,050]

Timely article on the subject from Calibre Press and PoliceOne...

Night vision on patrol: One department's impressive experience

By Chuck Remsberg

Senior PoliceOne Contributor

Criminals depending on darkness to hide themselves and their misdeeds are well advised to avoid Howell Twp., N.J.

The 70 patrol officers on the Howell Twp. Police Dept. have proved adept at "taking back the night" on a wide variety of calls, aided by an assortment of night-vision equipment that allows them, in effect, to turn darkness into day.

H.T.P.D., one of 53 township departments in fast-growing Monmouth County in east-central New Jersey, is among an increasing number of agencies finding night vision to be a key tool, not only for SWAT call-outs but for successful everyday patrol.

Howell's cops police a 62-square-mile mix of commercial strips, farms, wooded wildlands, and residential developments ranging from low-income housing projects to multi-million dollar estates. Across this jurisdiction of more than 52,000 population, night vision allows them to detect illegal activities that otherwise would be concealed, arrest offenders who otherwise could escape, and protect officers who otherwise would be vulnerable to attack.

"We keep six units in our muster room, from first generation night scopes to the latest Gen III Night Enforcer PVS-14 from ITT Corporation," says Ptl. Bernie Fowler. "One or more of these is out with patrol virtually every night, and we can quickly access more if we need them."

Says Capt. Jeff Mayfield: "We use night vision so often we usually don't even put it in our reports any more. It's become commonplace equipment that makes things possible that wouldn't be possible otherwise."

A sampling of Howell's versatile applications of this technology proves the point:

Storage Yard Prowler

Late one Friday night, Ptl. Fowler and his partner, Scott Revilak, were surveilling a schoolyard, the source of "tons of complaints from neighbors" about drug activity. "We couldn't approach the scene in a patrol car without being seen, so we set up in nearby woods with night-vision goggles," Fowler recalls.

Their stakeout got aborted when a shots-fired complaint came in from a large auto body and vehicle storage complex a few miles away, in an area known for gang problems. They responded as backup.

The assigned officer was already on the premises when they arrived. The sprawling complex was "very dark, nearly pitch black," but they could see that he had begun to search the grounds by flashlight.

As they left their car and moved into the dark for concealment, Fowler donned the night-vision goggles-and quickly detected something that had not been visible before: the crouched figure of a man, hiding in bushes along a fence line.

"He was tracking the responding officer's movement by watching his flashlight," Fowler says. "He was hunkered down real good, and you had to wonder if he was laying in wait for the officer, because he could have easily run into woods around the property."

Fowler popped his own flashlight on the subject, and after a brief foot pursuit, Revilak brought him down and he was taken into custody. He turned out to be an employee of the place who'd been fired over a month ago. He claimed he was there to get his car, parked in the storage yard. He was charged with defiant trespassing, obstruction of justice, and resisting arrest.

"We were never sure of his intent," Fowler says. "We never found a weapon to explain the 'shots' neighbors thought they heard. But more important, thanks to night vision, we were able to apprehend this subject before we could find out if he was waiting to attack the other officer. Without that equipment, we would never have seen him, without giving our position away."

Meth Warrant

A subject who was stopped for a traffic violation was discovered to have a quantity of methamphetamine in his possession. He agreed to roll over on his supplier, an outlaw biker who had a string of weapon offenses on his resume.

The dealer operated out of a two-story house in a remote, "very rural" location, which presented a problem in serving a search warrant: the house sat in the middle of a "wide open" field, making it dangerously difficult to approach without being detected.

Capt. Mayfield, who headed the ESU team assigned to hit the place, describes their strategy:

"We figured that waiting until nightfall would be our best chance, but still, getting across the field, a distance of about 100 yards, could be problematic. We took a night-vision scope off of a rifle and used it as a monocular.

"Starting at about 9:30 p.m., two officers surveilled the place for about 90 minutes. They could see people coming in and out of the house, but we never felt our target left and we didn't see anything threatening." The scope/monocular continued to be used as the full six-officer unit moved in for the raid.

"We did a two-team entry, one in the front door and one up the rear, outside stairway to the second floor," Mayfield says. "The operation was a total success. The suspect never knew what hit him. We also got some drugs, several other people, and a couple of guns-all with no officers hurt and no shots fired."

Proactive Patrol

With night vision, says Ptl. Luis Segarra, "you can park with your lights off and check a neighborhood for suspicious people walking around." Also, in areas troubled with car burglaries, Howell officers have been able to drive around with their lights off in an effort to surprise offenders who would "duck down or hide in the woods the moment they saw headlights." Trying lights-out patrol without night vision, "you can imagine how hitting a parked car would go over!" Segarra says.

Fowler favors night vision over a flashlight or spotlight for visually clearing large areas. "You can safely clear an entire park without getting out of your car," he says. "It's very comforting from an officer-survival standpoint. You don't have a focused beam of light showing everyone where you are."

Marijuana Bust

H.T.P.D. Det. Robert Ortenzi recalls the arrest of a major pot dealer made possible by night vision during a joint investigation with the New Jersey State Police. Concealed in a car 200 yards away, investigators were able to watch the dealer emerge from his residence in a new housing development "and place a large bag of marijuana in some bushes on his property. The suspect was then observed removing the bag and handing it off to a C.I.," who turned it over to the police.

This was the first of two controlled buys, leading to a warrant on the house and an arrest-"only possible due to utilizing night vision," Ortenzi says.

Suspects in Flight

A driver disappeared, leaving a badly damaged vehicle behind, after a one-car crash near an Interstate highway. Howell officers set up a perimeter and began a search.

First, they looked with flashlights. No results. But Ptl. Tom Matthews had a gut feel the missing driver was still in the area. He requested that someone bring night vision gear to the scene, and the hunt was renewed. Bingo!

The suspect was quickly apprehended within the perimeter, hiding on an egg farm. He was charged with leaving the scene of an accident.

On a different night, another fleeing driver started out with more serious crimes. First he stole about $3,000 worth of electronics and construction equipment from a building site. Then he stole a car from a gas station to haul his loot away in.

A little later, alerted by a BOLO on the stolen car, a Howell corporal spotted the vehicle, and other officers joined in a pursuit. "He turned into a residential driveway and jumped out of the car," recalls Ptl. T. J. Hurley. "The car kept going down into some woods and a stream, and the guy disappeared into the trees."

A search commenced in the potentially treacherous woods, led by a K-9 handler and another officer, both outfitted with night vision goggles. After 90 minutes of "moving with complete stealth made possible by the night vision," officers discovered the suspect in a deeply recessed area where the rushing stream had cut into a 15-ft. embankment. "With the goggles, we could see him nice and easy," Hurley says. "He was lying in the water," trying to mask his scent from the dog.

He fought violently, repeatedly hitting the K-9 and being bitten several times in return. "Five or six of us were in waist-deep water and mud, getting him under control," Hurley says. "Our uniforms were ruined.

"Every neighbor around there came to see us bring him out. People started clapping when they saw us, and the department was flooded with calls of congratulations. It was a good showing."

Howell's night-vision inventory has been accumulated over a period of more than 20 years, with financial aid from a variety of sources: a federal military surplus program, drug interdiction money, a local Vest and Safety Fund, and the latest ITT Night Enforcer equipment through a CEDAP (Commercial Equipment Direct Assistance Program) Grant from the Dept. of Homeland Security.

As PoliceOne reported earlier this year, ITT Night Vision maintains a full-time grants specialist to help, free of charge, in locating, applying for, and getting either funding for night vision equipment or the gear itself. For more information, contact Margaret Stark at (704) 540-0981 or at mstark@ittgrantinfo.com

ITT also provides free familiarization training for units acquired, to ensure that they're put to use and don't just gather dust in a property room.

Our thanks to list-serves conducted by Chief Jeff Chudwin of the Olympic Fields (Ill.) P.D. and Ofcr. Tom Moy of the University of Delaware for their help in researching this report.]

[MoFire390 118]

Why not carry all of them? Just interested to see why you feel that way. To me the more self-sufficient the better. Can't see how it would hurt to have a hydra ram, set of irons and a sledge or maul on an ambulance as well. A lot easier and faster to have it right there, then to have to wait for an apparatus to arrive if there is no BLSFR.

I would love to see forceible entry tools on EMS rigs. I think it would be awsome. I know one agency in the Town of Cortlandt area that was looking to do so. With the proper trainning I think it would be pretty successful. anyone else agree?

[Guest alsfirefighter]

I would love to see forceible entry tools on EMS rigs. I think it would be awsome

OK Cool. Earlier you said they should have hydra rams and not all tools. I was just wondering what it was that you felt they shouldn't?