Toolbag: Forensic Video

Litigation Tools of the Trade

Deciphering Surveillance Video

Surveillance cameras appear in virtually every corner of our lives, capturing each one of us on video an average of 8 to 12 times every day. American businesses and individuals spend approximately $2 billion on surveillance equipment every year.

More often than not, however, culling any workable evidence from these poor-quality videos is extremely difficult, if not impossible.

Forensic video tools can assist law enforcement officers and trial attorneys in obtaining credible evidential material from surveillance videos. The tools can also enhance otherwise unviewable portions of the tape. Most multi-camera systems record to the same videotape, interlacing the images. Though this system is efficient as it's running and recording, the interlaced playback can be difficult to decipher.

Imagine your firm has a six-camera security system. The images are probably recorded in camera-order onto the videotape, rather than in "action order." In other words, the video playback will show you a frame from camera 1, then from camera 2, camera 3 and so forth. The result is a jumble of flashing images.

Using a forensic video tool, your video expert can pull apart the video streams so that all images from camera 1 follow in order, separate from all other camera inputs.

Enhancing Video Images

Removing video interlacing is just the beginning of what forensic video tools can do for your case. Even more valuable is the ability to highlight and sharpen images that are otherwise too grainy or dark to be of use. If a subject's face is shadowed or blurred, it may be possible to rework the video to bring his face into sharp relief. And the results are generally legally admissible since these tools were initially developed for law enforcement.

Using Video as a Witness

Witnesses at a trial can be notoriously unreliable. Human memory fails, eyewitness blink or turn away, or become stunned and freeze.

Video is the unblinking, silent witness to all events playing out in front of the camera. A camera doesn't lie, though poor-quality video is troublesome. Enhancing that witness with forensic video tools and techniques can turn compelling evidence into rock-solid convincing evidence.

Finding Forensic Video Specialists

High-end forensic tools are generally only available at law enforcement agency crime labs. However, The Data Company has this video equipment in-house to assist our clients in taking advantage of video evidence. Call us today at (800) 331-3874 to discuss your forensic video project.