Michigan police department trial Reveal body cameras to capture in-field evidence

The City of Clare Police Department trialled our body cameras and Digital Evidence Management Software. Officer John Pedjac has been running the trial and spoke with us about his experience.

What has the City of Clare Police Dept been trying to achieve with body-worn video?

In 2007, we had officers involved in a self-defence shooting. That incident led us to look into getting body cameras so that we could record evidence from the officer’s point of view.

We tried a few others but couldn’t find one we liked, then we came across Reveal, and we really liked the cameras.

Has body-worn video worked for you?

Body cameras are definitely a good idea. We’ve noticed a reduction in complaints against officers and reduced time our officers spend in court.

Body cameras are also a real help in building community relations.

About the cameras themselves - how have you found them?

There’s a lot about the cameras we like. They’re straightforward to use. They’re tough. They’ve got a great wide-angle view, and they have multiple uniform mounting options. They don’t have enhanced night vision, so the cameras record precisely what the officer sees when dark. Also, it's nice that they are wireless and cannot get tangled or become damaged by being flexed all of the time, like some of the other cameras we tried.

How have you found working with our digital evidence management system, DEMS 360?

I like it. I particularly like how the video uploads automatically from the camera. And it’s easy to burn evidence to disc when you need to.

Have you tried any other body cameras? How do Reveal cameras compare?

Yes, we have. And so have other police departments in this area.

We’re the only ones using Reveal. And we’re the only ones who are happy!