Audio Benefits for Law Enforcement

There are more than 12,000 local police departments in the United States, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics report, Local Police Departments, 2013: Personnel, Policies, and Practices. About 48 percent of these departments employed fewer than 10 officers in 2013. With limited staff, police departments are looking to security technologies to act as a force-multiplier and improve crime deterrence initiatives.

For law enforcement facilities around the nation, video surveillance alone doesn’t provide a complete security solution. Whether it be for court evidence or to settle detainee-officer dispute, there are many audio benefits for law enforcement, with audio monitoring as a critical component that all police departments should be utilizing.

Top Areas for Deployment

Booking areas

These areas are key entry and primary points of contact between police staff and detainees. Monitoring conversations in this area is necessary to provide staff with better situational awareness and additional accountability. 

For best results, mount a vandal-resistant microphone, such as the Verifact® D-V, or a ceiling mounted microphone like the Verifact A above the booking area, placed far enough away from sources of background noise to clearly capture conversations. 

Interview Rooms

This is where the court-admissible evidence is recorded, so audio clarity here is vital. For this reason, recordings taken from interview rooms must be the highest possible quality for prosecutors to better utilize. Typically, when a suspect makes a confession or provides incriminating evidence, they will speak in a quiet voice.  Louroe microphones are designed to pick up the entirety of the interview room, even when words are spoken softly.

For best results, deploy an omnidirectional microphone, paired with a base station with a mute switch, such as the ASK-4® #631. This enables officers to clearly capture all statements while the mute switch ensures that attorney-client privilege is upheld. 

Holding Cells

The unfortunate truth is that holding cells are notorious for both verbal and physical aggression between suspects.  To prevent confrontations and maintain order, audio must be closely monitored in these areas. New technologies now can alert security officers of an elevated risk of an altercation.  Using the Digifact™ A network microphone running aggression detection analytics, officers can receive an alert when tensions begin to rise. This allows staff to respond quickly if emotions run high or occupants become violent. 

These are just a few examples of how the many audio benefits for law enforcement.