Conference allows police chiefs to see the future
Jun 26 2008 by Richard Down, Liverpool Daily Post
Conference allows police chiefs to see the future
TOP-SECRET surveillance devices and next generation crime scene investigation tools have gone on show to a select audience in Liverpool.
The International Police conference at the BT Conference Centre has attracted chief police officers from virtually every force in the country.
After a day of speeches, exhibitors yesterday set up more than 150 stands showing off their wares.
These ranged from forensic techniques to hush-hush breakthroughs in surveillance kit.
Several firms were keen to keep their products out of the public eye.
Others such as LGC Forensics were keen to demonstrate the advances they had made in their field.
The CSI style company boasts a complete package of forensic expertise and had mocked up a murder scene. Visiting police officers were challenged to identify all the forensic clues present in the crime scene.
Stewart Hollington, commercial director, said: “We’ve got some of the latest innovations. The new Tape-it device is a sophisticated method for analysing and collection particulates from the scene of a crime. It’s especially good at fibre identification.”
Mike Tarbard, of Marcomm, was promoting the Argus SC, a handheld thermal imaging camera. Similar devices are already made use of in the fire service but yesterday the company gave the camera a secret service style makeover.
Mr Tarbard said: “They’ve got loads of applications for officers.
“Imagine running after a suspect at night.
“They may be invisible to the naked eye, but they’ll be lit up like they’re on fire on the screen of one of these.
“At the moment, many forces have to go to court to get permission to fly a helicopter fitted with thermal imaging camera over a property that could be a cannabis factory.
“Then, once they’ve done that, they can get a warrant to go in.
“Because this is basically a line of sight camera there is no need for that and evidence can be compiled quite quickly.”
A North West force has already used the kit to unmask a drug factory.
The public is not allowed behind the scenes to see the ranks of riot gear, telescopic batons and hi-tech tracking devices.
Many displays demonstrated new surveillance techniques that bring James Bond to mind. One mobile unit displayed by Serco disguised 16 3G equipped cameras as a road worker’s van complete with cameras embedded in traffic cones.
Julian Scott-Williams, marketing director, said: “You’ve seen it in the films and now we can do it.”
Share
