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When the Law Enforcement and
Emergency Services Video
Association International formed
two decades ago, video surveillance
was in its infancy.
Now, millions of government and
private cameras play a key role in
crime prevention and investigation.
But the United States hasn’t been
the leader in implementing surveillance
programs.
So LEVA has reached across the
ocean to the United Kingdom for
the keynote speaker at its 20th
annual conference and training,
Nov. 18-20 in Fort Worth, Texas.
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From across the Pond: Deputy Chief Constable Graeme Gerrard of Cheshire Constabulary will speak at LEVA on video surveillance.
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Deputy Chief Constable Graeme
Gerrard of Cheshire Constabulary,
who is considered the United
Kingdom’s top police authority on CCTV, will be the
featured speaker at the all-day event, “Public Video
Surveillance: CCTV Policy and Operations for Public
Safety” on Nov. 18.
“Deputy Chief Constable Gerrard brings a unique
and important perspective to the public video surveillance
debate,” said Alan Salmon, LEVA president
and forensic video analyst/special investigator for
the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.
LEVA notes that in the U.S., we continue to invest
heavily in video surveillance at all levels of government.
However, there may come a time where the
public’s concern over privacy could result in restrictive
legislation that limits the use and effectiveness
of CCTV technology.
One policy area ripe for clarification, said
Salmon, is audio. Right now, many states prohibit
covert recording of spoken conversations, even in
public places.
Gerrard’s speech will complement the session,
“Public Video Surveillance: CCTV Policy and
Operations for Public Safety” will be part of the conference’s
three-day Video Evidence Symposium. The
symposium will discuss topics including justification
of public video surveillance and the protection of
CCTV system investments. Panel members representing
police chiefs, privacy advocates, video surveillance
specialists and government leaders will discuss
the need for a federal policy and specific laws
to protect both privacy rights and the police authority
to use camera technology to monitor public
places.
“This is in the hopes of alerting government officials
in the Unites States about potential bumps in
the road,” said Salmon.
LEVA OFFERING FORENSIC
TECHNICIAN CERTIFICATION
To become a Certified Forensic Video Analyst, it takes not just core
classes but also submission of a case study and a thesis-style defense
before a panel.
That could take a long time—sometimes so long that a detective
might be rotated back onto patrol into the meantime.
In 2008, LEVA began offering another level of certification, the
Forensic Video Technician, to more quickly enable law officers to handle,
analyze, and credibly testify in court about video.
Designed for a wider range of starting points, the new three-class
LEVA certification process has some user-friendly features, such as the
option for people finishing the Level 1 class to take the corresponding
test immediately, or to take it at the annual conference instead.
“What we tried to do was take the pressure off,” said Ed Baker, past
president of LEVA, who implemented the changes.
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