Briefcam used by Springfield, MA Police
Information Certainty: Documented
Deployment Purpose: Surveillance, Traffic Surveillance
| Summary |
|---|
| The Springfield Police Department reportedly utilizes BriefCam for video analysis, despite denying the use of facial recognition technology (FRT) and implementing a moratorium on its use. It's uncertain when they adopted BriefCam. Three years ago, the department inaugurated its Real-Time Analysis Center (R-TAC), integrating BriefCam VCA software. This software aids analysts in swiftly reviewing footage from traffic cameras across the city, condensing hours into minutes to identify relevant objects. Dispatchers coordinate with camera footage in response to 911 calls, enhancing situational awareness and officer safety. During critical incidents like a recent fatal shooting, R-TAC analysts provided timely and accurate information to responding officers using multiple camera perspectives. |
Products and Institutions:
| Product Deployed | Video Synopsis (Briefcam) |
|---|---|
| Institutions ⠉ | Briefcam Ltd |
| Datasets | Briefcam (Dataset) Unknown Dataset 0061 |
| Search software |
Status and Events:
| Status | Ongoing |
|---|---|
| Events | ? (?, Documented, ?, No description) |
| Start Date | |
| End Date |
Users:
| Involved Entities | |
|---|---|
| Managed by | Springfield Police Department |
| Used by | Springfield Police Department |
Location:
| City | Springfield MA |
|---|---|
| Country ⠉ | USA |
Description[ ]
BriefCam reports that Springfield Police Department use BriefCam. The department has since introduced a moratorium on FRT and denied that they have ever used it. They may still use BriefCam for other forms of video analysis. It is unclear when they first began using BriefCam.
The Springfield, Massachusetts Police Department launched its Real-Time Analysis Center (R-TAC) three years ago as part of its commitment to using the newest tools of the digital age to give officers the most current information for real time crime analysis and situational awareness. The BriefCam VCA software is an integral component of the R-TAC because it allows analysts to quickly review footage from traffic cameras at any of several dozen locations around the city. Analysts can condense hours of footage into a couple of minutes and enable police to pinpoint objects of interest, filtering out irrelevant objects. When a 911 call comes in, dispatchers coordinate the address on the map with the nearest traffic cameras in the area to see if there is footage of potential suspects coming or going. If there’s a description of a car fleeing the scene, they can quickly review footage from cameras nearby, filtering out traffic that does not match the description. Working with information in realtime increases officer and civilian safety as officers respond to incidents. During a recent fatal shooting incident, R-TAC analysts were able to quickly view several perspectives of the crime scene via different cameras, and deliver timely, accurate and actionable information to the responding officers 1
References
- a b "BriefCam at Work In Safe Cities". (2022) <https://www.briefcam.com/resources/case-studies/briefcam-at-work-in-safe-cities/> Accessed: 2022-06-26