SAN CARLOS, CA — The San Carlos Police Department went live with new digital audio/video technology in its patrol fleet, according to Government Technology magazine. This new Panasonic technology is designed to record police contacts in the field and provide for wireless downloading of those audio and video files onto a computer server. The system offers a combination of digital in-car video capturing, storing, uploading, transferring, viewing and archiving of video for maximum use by both the field and backend users. The tool accurately documents police events, captures images of the area surrounding an event, and records statements made by officers and others during traffic stops, pedestrian stops, and critical incidents. The information provided by the audio and video files can be used as evidence in court, a training tool for officers, or to help sustain or exonerate officers who have been the subject of a complaint. The project was partially funded by the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG), which is an agency that has risk management support for police as one of its core functions.