Hoffman squad cars to go even higher-tech

Forget about being able to play MP3s or having a GPS display. Hoffman Estates police squad cars will now be outfitted with Wi-Fi digital video recorders.

The village board has given preliminary approval to spending $144,322 to outfit 17 police cruisers with a new electronic equipment package, including digital video recorders and cameras to capture footage of incidents including traffic stops.

The system allows video to be wirelessly uploaded to a computer server stored at the police station over a 4.9 Ghz frequency.

Computer equipment utilizing that frequency isn't available to civilians, giving police a secure channel to transmit potentially sensitive information wirelessly.

The normal Wi-Fi standard frequency is 802.11a/b/g, which most consumers use at home or at coffee shops to surf the Web.

Experts say in-car cameras increase police safety and improve a department's performance by giving supervisors an evaluation tool.

Police Chief Clinton Herdegen said two cruisers already use similar equipment. Those cars would also get updates with the new system.

"We're really excited. The old equipment was so old," he said. "We're going from VHS to digital."

The old analog system recorded police video on VHS tapes, and that footage was stored for 90 days, Herdegen said. The new system will allow police to store digital footage on each car's 60-GB hard drive for 30 days, after which the system would automatically delete it. The same footage would also be stored on the police station's server for 90 days, Herdegen added.

If approved by the village board next week, the equipment would be installed in all 17 cars within about a month, Herdegen said.

The equipment provider, Recon Vision Corp. of Lombard, is also working with the West Chicago police.