Thermal cameras already have a lot of uses and now they’re going to be used to fight crime as well.
Police officers in Harvey County USA are soon to be given state-of-the-art thermal cameras, helping them to pinpoint criminals who might be hiding in darkness.
Thanks to the ability of thermal cameras to both detect heat signatures and effectively see in the dark, the thermal imagers will be used to help find criminals hiding in rural areas around Harvey County.
A significant amount of crime around the area actually happens in rural areas, meaning police routinely struggle to locate felons.
"The deputies will easily be able to pan a field or as they're driving down the road, be able to spot things that are hotter than other things surrounding it," said Undersheriff Todd Hanchett.
The thermal imaging cameras will be hooked directly up to police cars, allowing the officers to see a clear thermal image of the area as they’re driving.
The decision to use this technology comes about after many incidents that could have been prevented had the technology been available.
Cited cases include an elderly man wandering away from a retirement home in the snow and being found dead sometime later, criminals stealing copper wire and even stopping burglars who work at night-time.
The technology is expected to be introduced to the police department this November.
