CITY OF BOONEVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT
1901 East Chambers Drive
Booneville, Mississippi 38829
Phone (662) 728-3161 Fax (662) 728-4125

To: Martel Electronics
From: Captain Jerry Bridges,
Booneville Police Department

To whom it may concern,

                In early 2002 my department was using an in car video system which mounted in the trunks of our patrol cars. Some of the systems were old and the others were the split screen systems which cost our department in the neighborhood of three to five thousand dollars per unit.
I would like to thank your company for such a compact in car video system as the “My Video Partner” camera system. At first I didn’t think this would be something our department could use. I didn’t think the picture it would record would be clear enough because it was a handheld video camera. Since using it for the past year you can see our department believes in them. We’ve purchased one for all our full time police officers cars and also our reserve cars.
         It has been useful in a number of complaints against our officers for the way the public says they were treated and by the way they were talked to. When we have a complaint such as this, we can view the traffic stop. In all of these instances where the officer used the cameras and audio, they were unsubstantiated.
The system has increased our DUI convictions, not only when the subject produces a breath sample, but when they do not. The reasons for the increased convictions, I believe, is that we can take the cameras out of our cars and video the Field Sobriety Test prior to the arrest. We can also use the camera inside our booking room at the jail to video the entire intoxylizer sample or refusal.
         Feel free to use our department as a working reference regarding your products quality and dependability.

Thank You,

Captain Jerry Bridges