NCJ Number
203189
Journal
Law Enforcement Technology Volume: 30 Issue: 10 Dated: October 2003 Pages: 150,152,155
Date Published
October 2003
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article describes a covert surveillance technology known as Tardis, designed by the Bureau of Technical Services in Wisconsin.
Abstract
Tardis, which is housed inside a cigarette package, holds a two-channel FM audio/video recorder and DVD-quality recorder. Users have the option to select between a wireless video receiver or hardwire inputs. One advantage of Tardis is that it eliminates tape and the need for time-consuming uploads by using a 5 GB PCMCIA hard drive for storage. Through this technology, the drive can be pulled out of Tardis and inserted into the PCMCIA slot on a laptop. The digital video allows the flexibility of random searches, so that the constant rewinding and fast forwarding required with tape can be eliminated. Video from Tardis can also be burned to a DVD, if desired. The parameters and capabilities of Tardis are explained and the three different models of Tardis are introduced, one of which is smaller because it does not include a receiver for wireless surveillance. All three models of Tardis have four modes of operation: normal camcorder, delayed start, event recorder with an alarm trigger, and quasi-time lapse with user set-table durations. The Bureau of Technical Services will make Tardis available in other covert packages in the future, such as a clipboard.