Image credit — Samsung
In Missouri, the Kimberling City Police and the Indian Point Police departments
tested Samsung Galaxy Z Flip smartphones as body cameras during a pilot program two years ago. After six months, the program concluded with positive results, leading to the expansion of the program to other police departments like San Benito and Craighead County Sheriff’s Department.
The Galaxy Z Flip smartphones were chosen due to their lightweight and compact design, which makes them ideal for police officers who need to carry a lot of equipment. To customize the device for police use, Samsung collaborated with Visual Labs, a body camera solution provider. The collaboration resulted in the remapping of the external volume button to activate body camera recording in urgent situations without needing to turn on the display or open the smartphone. Additionally, the body camera function can be activated by high-speed detection during pursuits or when connected to a dash-cam solution with emergency lights activated.
The Galaxy Z Flip smartphones offer several features that make them well-suited for use as body cameras. Their compact and foldable design allows for easy attachment to uniforms, and the high-quality camera ensures clear and detailed video recording. The durable construction can withstand demanding environments, while the long battery life and advanced features like stabilization and quick access to recordings make them practical for police work.
Police officer utilizing a Galaxy Z Flip | Image credit — Samsung
The use of the Galaxy Z Flip as a body camera goes beyond recording arrests and interactions. They can instantly store video data in the cloud, enabling real-time streaming to the police force’s command center. The smartphone also functions as a digital camera, audio recorder, personnel locator, and communication device for phone calls, emails, and text messages. It can even support agency-specific applications like computer-aided dispatch and criminal justice database queries.
The Galaxy Z Flip series offers a sleek design that is easy for busy police officers to mount on their uniforms, eliminating the need for bulky equipment. The devices also have lower maintenance costs compared to other body-worn cameras, an important factor when providing devices to many officers.
Kimberling City Police Department Chief of Police, Todd Lemoine, praised the Galaxy Z Flip for its benefits to their team. He emphasized how the device has significantly improved response and investigation efforts through its ease of use and enhanced communication across teams.
We chose the Galaxy Z Flip due to the wide array of benefits it brings to our team, and we’re delighted to say that we’ve had incredible results. We’ve seen response and investigation efforts be significantly improved by its overall ease of use and ability to enhance communications across teams. These devices put powerful resources right at the fingertips of our force.
Todd Lemoine, Kimberling City Police Department Chief of Police
Samsung remains committed to developing innovative products to support various sectors, including public services, especially with the launch of the new
Galaxy Z Flip 6. The positive results of the pilot programs have led to the expansion of the Galaxy Z Flip solution to 25 metro police departments across five states, which will hopefully enhance the success of police authorities in the US.
FCC OKs Cingular\'s purchase of AT&T Wireless
Things that are NOT allowed: