This week, Reno is playing host to officers from across the country. The National Sheriff's Association's Technology Expo is at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center, with dozens of booths focusing on the latest in crime fighting innovations.
Lincoln Strom with European American Armory has been in law enforcement most of his life. Years ago, it was all guns and billy clubs. He says that all changed in the 80's with the invention of the dash cam. Popular for two reasons: "Officer safety is number 1, and I think the public demands transparency from these agencies." And what he's touting now is light years away from that. It’s a smart holster that sends a text and location to dispatch the minute he unsnaps his gun, while recording video. As he showed us, "When I draw it, it loops back 30 seconds. So now you can see what precipitated this officer to draw his firearm."
Several aisles over, Woody Norris with “Bola Wrap” says the new age of policing started even earlier, with the TASER in the 70's, which was good for awhile. Today, he says, "Police officers are now quite reluctant to shoot or even use a TASER." The evolution of that is his product…the non-lethal Bola Wrap that wraps a cord around the law-breakers legs. He described how simple it is to use: "Cock it, pull off the safety, fire it."
Protecting the peace is very big business…big enough to have this yearly conference just for sheriff’s departments. It’s a lawman's paradise, where an idea as simple as a body cam can earn millions. And now there's a step up from that. In the OD Eyewear booth you’ll find eyeglass cameras that use facial recognition. Amber Eddy told us, "The faces with green squares are screened, and if that person is wanted, it'll turn red. And there's an app that will send it to your phone and say, 'Warning, this guy's wanted." Shades of the Terminator. And a bit of the A-Team comes to life with the tactical Humvee on the floor.
Everywhere you look, high-tech is the new star. Lincoln Strom says, "We have stepped up because that's what society demands." The conference doesn't just offer the latest in law enforcement, but also in jail operations, court & judicial security, process serving and prisoner transportation. For moving prisoners, there are decked out vans totally equipped with every safeguard imaginable from the Bob Barker Company. Their sales representative told us, "We've got a full camera system with quad split screens inside so you can monitor what's going on in the unit during the transport."
The Washoe County Sheriff’s Office liked it so much, they ordered three of them. Delivery is expected in August.
