NCJ Number
148365
Journal
Law Enforcement Technology Volume: 21 Issue: 4 Dated: (April 1994) Pages: 42-44,46-48
Date Published
1994
Length
6 pages
Annotation
Police use various types of night vision devices (NVDs) to achieve and maintain the advantage over criminal elements. Night surveillance is a common duty for drug task forces, SWAT, and investigation units.
Abstract
Modern NVDs use either an illuminating light source (near infrared (IR)) or available light (far IR). An active IR system consists of an illuminator, sensor, optics, and a monitor. While there is some disagreement among manufacturers, in general, less sophisticated night vision scopes are classified as Generation I (Gen I) devices, while later models have been classified as Gen II and Gen III, and are vastly improved over the Gen I models. This article describes many of the available NVDs manufactured in both the U.S. and Russia. When selecting NVDs, police agencies should determine the primary use the devices will have within the agency, consult the current buyer's guide, contact suppliers for demonstration devices and let field units try them out, check out available surplus military equipment sources in the area, and consider budget limitations versus the desired level of sophistication.