The Challenge
The department’s previous video system was difficult to use and inadequate for their needs. When that system stopped working entirely, they chose to procure an entirely new system instead of fixing the one they had.
Lieutenant Brian Kindel says the department needed a complete, user-friendly system that included features useful to the department and made downloading videos to DVD fast and simple. Of the seven systems the department demoed, only the VALT system from IVS fit the bill. “IVS had all the functions we were looking for,” Kindel says. “Once we had the demo, we were all instantly sold.”
The Solution
Since the department installed VALT in 2015, they’ve experienced an exceptional level of functionality and service they couldn’t get with another partner. “There’s not a person here who doesn’t love the system,” Kindel says. “There’s just so much that it does.” The department has six interview rooms, including a patrol room, two primary detective rooms, a polygraph room, soft interview room for children and victims of crime, and a backup office, all strategically placed throughout two floors of the department.
VALT allows the officers and detectives to manage every aspect of the recording process without IT help. Officers can start or stop a recording with just the push of a button from their offices or the interview rooms. They can even observe live interviews remotely from their mobile devices. “The functionality is impressive,” says Kindel. “What really made it phenomenal for us was the marking system.”
Officers can tag specific points within a recording – either during live observation or in the review process – to flag important events in the video. This allows users to easily jump to specific points, such as a Miranda warning or confession. “Now you don’t have to go through an hour of interview to find the confession” Kindel says. “You just click on ‘confession’ in the marks and it takes you right there.”
Now you don’t have to go through an hour of interview to find the confession”. “You just click on ‘confession’ in the marks and it takes you right there.” Lieutenant Brian Kindel
Easy-to-use Controls
Detective Joe Pacheco says VALT has all the functions that the department needs in a user-friendly system. “One of the things I like the most about the VALT system is that it’s just really easy to use,” he says.
Auto focus and zoom allows officers to digitally zoom in during live observation or while reviewing a video, giving them a closer look at suspects. All videos are recorded in a non-proprietary MP4 video format, making it easy to share videos with other officers or the district attorney. The editing tool allows officers to create smaller clips from a larger video without affecting the original video. Each video can be set with specialized permissions to maintain privacy and security of shared videos.
The system also allows users to quickly and easily download recordings to DVDs, one of the biggest benefits for the department. “We can download it really quickly,” says Pacheco.
Beyond Functionality
Kindel says that the entire process, from first contact through installation, was easier than they expected. “IVS made it incredibly simple,” he says. “From start to finish, it was very fast.”
Service has also been a great experience. The department installed the system themselves, but had difficulty getting a microphone to integrate with the cameras. “We didn’t plug it in correctly and it tripped the system,” Kindel says. “I called IVS and got immediate service. I can honestly tell you from our previous vendor that is not usually the case. Sometimes you wait two to three days to get a call back.” Once Kindel contacted IVS, the microphone was functional within two hours.
Overall, the department loves how VALT combines extensive functionality with user-friendly controls. Detective Pacheco says that VALT is exactly what the department needed. “It’s the best thing we’ve ever had for video.”
