The NOPTIC Spotlight System (Nighttime Optical Thermal Imaging Camera) is a compact, low-priced, high-resolution surveillance tool. The device's unique spotlight mounting location is familiar to officers, making use quick and easy with minimal or no new training necessary. The camera is designed to be perfectly aligned with the spotlight which allows for the timely and tactical use of the spotlight keeping the officer unnoticed inside the vehicle. Unlike handheld devices that spend most of their time in the trunk or at the office, the NOPTIC is always on and ready for continual night vision surveillance.
Able to capture thermal imaging at 250 to 300 meters out, the NOPTIC utilizes passive infrared technology for its 320 by 240 pixel image, so it won't be blinded by any lights. It also has a built-in lens heater that automatically activates at temperatures below 40 degrees Fahrenheit to keep the lens clear of frost. The system is record-ready and is capable of capturing still images.
Testimonial:
Officer Ed Holzmeister of the Plano Police Department shined his cruiser’s spotlight toward a building. Creeping through the grass in the opposite direction was a burglary suspect who saw the spotlight pointed away from him and thought it was safe to make his getaway. Little did he know Officer Holzmeister had a thermal imaging camera pointed toward him and could detect his every movement. Before the suspect realized what had happened, he was apprehended.
Benefits
- Officer safety: detect a dangerous situation, avoid being ambushed, detection of concealed weapons/criminals in hiding, fleeing suspects
- Enhanced awareness of surroundings
- Improved efficiency for patrolling and conducting perimeter searches
Uses
- Detection of recently operated vehicles, disturbed surfaces from fleeing suspects, initiate K-9 with greater efficiency
- Commercial vehicle enforcement
- Human trafficking/smuggling
- Quickly locate active shooters, confidently recovery of spent casings
- Pursue vehicles at night that have their lights off
- Drug/narcotics interdiction operations
- Border security
- Port authority
- Find recently driven vehicles in crowded parking lots, on the street or driveways
- Search and rescue: See through foliage, smoke, dust, snow, most weather conditions
- Ground surveillance: Locate discarded contraband; Undercover/stake out operation; Security monitoring
- Perimeter surveillance and patrol
- Detect unauthorized/unwanted intruders
- Monitor correctional facility's perimeter day and night - without the need for flood lights
Officer Safety
- Lights-off approach in a patrol car (using a vehicle-mounted thermal imager)
- Covert surveillance
- Sweep an area from the safety of a patrol car
- Look behind yourself in a patrol car
- Bait and switch in a patrol car – shine spot light in one direction while observing a suspect with the thermal imager in another direction
- Building sweeps on foot – walk through an empty building in total darkness without giving away your location (e.g. with a flashlight)
- Serving warrants – look for fugitives hiding in attics or crawl spaces without sticking your head into a dangerous area
- Approach hiding fugitives while knowing their whereabouts – avoid stumbling upon and risking dangerous conflict with a fugitive
Disturbed Surface Scenarios
- Detect disturbed earth – locate buried contraband, weapons, bodies, money, etc.
- Detect modified walls and structure surfaces – hidden compartments in walls, damaged and repaired surfaces, such as sheet rock
- Detect repaired sheet metal in vehicles (e.g. filled in/bonded dents)
Hidden Compartments in Vehicles
- Detect false walls, panels, or bulkheads
- Locate drugs and contraband
Routine Patrol
- See between homes and buildings
- See into dark garages and under vehicles
- See between cars in parking lots
- See recently driven, warm vehicles
- See prowlers, peeping Toms, criminal mischief
- Set-up perimeters on man hunts/fugitive searches
- Border Security
Traffic Accident Investigation
- Locate and measure skid marks at night or during the day due to the small layer of rubber and/or the cleaning effect left on the road surface
- Locate fuel and hazardous material spills
Parks & Wildlife
- Count and monitor game
- Interdict poachers
- Search and rescue (e.g. missing campers, boaters and hunters)
