Steve Ledbetter

When officers needed the cameras to see around a corner or transmit signals through a building window, the system didn't work, explains Detective Stephen Ledbetter, of the Technical Operations Unit in the Narcotics Division of the Dallas Police Department.Another approach was sought.

After looking unsuccessfully for an alternative solution, Ledbetter contacted Mobile ID Solutions, of Dallas, and worked in partnership with them to devise a system that would work.

Ledbetter told the head of Mobile ID Solutions, Corbin Gerard, about the different problems the department was encountering.
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"This unit solved our problem, because we were able to provide a video signal over cellular telephone lines using a secure network," says Ledbetter."We could then view it through various laptops over a secure Internet site or within range of a wireless secured network."

The system has other features that have proved useful.For example, the system has servers that can convert analog cameras to digital cameras.This allows Ledbetter to expand the network when necessary."We can use any kind of camera that we have and play it over the cell phone network," he says.
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"The cameras help us answer questions that we normally would not be able to answer until we are on the scene," says Ledbetter.
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The system has its drawbacks, according to Ledbetter, but these have been limited to the network, rather than the cameras.For example, there must be a strong cellular signal."We have had problems because we haven't had cell service or were inside a building with no cell service," he says.

Also, the cellular network has led to slow video feeds.According to Ledbetter, the frame rate is currently one frame every three to four seconds.But when the cellular network traffic is heavy, the frame rate can lag, dropping to one frame every 30 seconds.For example, during evening rush hour when everyone is leaving work, the frame rate slows significantly because of heavy call traffic.

The solution may lie with the cellular service provider."What we are looking forward to is an updated system from Verizon," says Ledbetter.This upgrade will increase the frame rate to 15 frames a second-this is near real time. (At press time, the upgrade was expected in the first quarter of this year.)

Ledbetter's team has been using the cameras for ten months and is one of the first law enforcement agencies in the United States to fully deploy a surveillance system of this type.Shortly after Ledbetter implemented the technology, the department's narcotics division used it to seize multiple caches of drugs in a single operation.

STEVE LEDBETTER - DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS* - (815) 254-9712

*DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS RESPONSIBILITIES INCLUDE BUT NOT LIMITED TO:

Steve Ledbetter, Detective, Narcotics Division, Technical Operations Unit, Dallas Police Department

Steve Ledbetter, Dallas Police Department - Security Director

At the faculty in-service on August 14 the faculty heard what was available on the streets of Dallas from Detective Steve Ledbetter of the Dallas Police Department.

Speaker: Detective Steve Ledbetter, Narcotics