Dear Martel:

My name is Rand and I am a Police Officer for the Henderson Police Department in Henderson, Nevada. I have been a member of the Henderson Police Department for over three years, prior to that I was a Police Officer with the Oakland Police Department (Oakland, California) for 9.5 years.

A year ago I was involved in an on-duty use of force incident which has blossomed into an excessive force lawsuit. After hearing and reading what the suspect was saying to the media, I wished that I had a camera mounted to the front of my patrol vehicle. If I had one at that time, I probably would not be writing you today because the truth (the video) would have shown that the suspects actions dictated mine and the suspect (or his lawyer) wouldn't have a leg to stand on.

After learning this valuable lesson, and to protect myself from further false accusations, I recently purchased a Dash-Hound Police Car Video System from your company to use while on patrol. I purchased this system with my own money and planned to keep my own records of each nights work, just as I now do with a digital recorder. Nearly every Patrol Officer in the department carries some type of recording device to fend off false complaints. I was given verbal permission from my immediate chain of command (Sgt/LT) to use the video system, I purchased from your company, in my patrol car.

I fell in love with the system the first night I used it, I actually had some guy on tape giving me consent to search, then thanking me for explaining to him why I wanted to search his car and his person for narcotics. While searching his person, I discovered a baggy of methamphetamine in his cigarette pack. The suspect then said, on camera, "I thought that if I was really cooperative you wouldn't find it." I didn't plan to turn the tape in as evidence. However if the suspect turns around and alleges to Internal Affairs that I conducted an illegal search, shame on him, I have the incident on tape.

I showed my Sergeant and he to thought that the idea of having a video system in the patrol car was a great. My Sergeant was also impressed with the Martel system. He was so impressed that the next day at the command staff meeting he was bragging about it to command. I have the backing of the City Attorney, who defends the city from lawsuits.

Police Officer Rand

Henderson Police Department, Nevada