Recording Raises the Likelihood of False Confessions—FALSE!
A popular myth that recording a victim’s testimony will raise the likelihood that he or she will make a false confession continues to be debunked. Recording not only helps close cases more quickly, but the right equipment also provides hard evidence that can be saved, retrieved easily at a later date and shared with entire […]
Six Types of Evidence Used in Courts that are Commonly Wrong
The Criminal Justice System is certainly not perfect, yet we continue to look to it to meet out justice. Did you know, however, that three types of evidence used repeatedly and for decades continues to be collected and utilized improperly? A recent Washington Post article identifies six noteworthy trends. We unpack these and share how recording is […]
What Recording Capital Cases Shows PDs about the Impact of Recording Equipment
When the Public Act 93-0206 became effective in Illinois in July of 2005, the Chicago Police Department along with all other PDs throughout Illiniois were required to electronically record all criminal cases that involved voluntary or involuntary manslaughter. This was just the first step. Learn what implications this led to and why recording interviews has […]
How Recording is Ending the He-Said-She-Said Debate
PDs sometimes have the choice of defending their officers against false accusations of coerced confessions or force and when they don’t have proof of what it was that they said, an endless game of he-said-she-said ensues. The burden of proof in these cases is really on the prosecution and if they cannot find a way […]
Who Are the Victims of Child Abuse Act?
Did you know that there are over 900 Child Advocacy Centers across the country and that they all depend on the continued reauthorization of the VOCAA bill for funding? While you may have heard of CACs before, we want to share with you why they are important, what they do and answer a few basic […]
Top Benefits of Recording Technology in Your PD’s Interview Rooms
Over the last 18 months, this nation has seen a sharp rise in the number of police departments around the country adopting state-of-the-art recording technology for their interview rooms. Month after month, reports continue to show what many departments have known along—audio and video recording helps victims and police. The Baltimore City Police Department is […]
Video Recording Equipment: A State by State Chronology
Just over a year ago, then-Deputy Attorney General Jim Cole encouraged investigators to videotape all suspects in custody before coming to court with federal charges. We saw a flurry of activity all last summer as the FBI formally adopted the policy to video record interrogations and this momentum has continued through 2015. In a Harvard […]
Reversing the Wrongful Conviction Tide with Video Recording
Wrongful convictions occur all too often, but in some cases these are avoidable. As technology has improved and investigations have been able to more accurately connect crime with suspects, one of the outcomes we have experienced has been fewer wrongful convictions. However, there are still too many wrongfully convicted. Let’s talk about one step your […]
Don’t Forget to Nominate Your Favorite Officer!
Our nomination deadline is close! Honor those who protect us by nominating your favorite law enforcement officer. Our goal for our contest Honor Those Who Protect Us is to highlight what those who are currently serving as sworn law enforcement do across the nation and to give them a chance to win the tools and […]
Do You Know Which Services a Private Detective Can Provide?
You may be thinking that you know what a private detective does because you’ve seen them portrayed on TV and in the movies. You may think that the life of a private detective is interesting and action-packed based on things that you’ve read in a wide variety of mystery novels. The reality is far from […]