...police air wing f.l.i.r camera...

In March 1998, the Victoria Police took delivery of a new camera system to help fight crime from the skies.
This new camera is called an F.L.I.R camera, or Forward Looking Infra Red and is a LEO/400 (Light Electro-Optical).

The camera was originally borrowed from the manufacturer by one of the Air Wings' pilots for use at the 1998 Australian Formula One Grand Prix.  The systems thermal imaging camera and a television camera were down linked to the communications room at the VPC and the command centre at the track.  During the day it was used to transmit pictures of traffic conditions.  At night, the thermal imaging camera caught more than 20 offenders for varying offences such as burglary, damage to trains and speeding motorists.  Since the FLIR become operational, the Air Wing has doubled their arrest rate.

The thermal imager can detect a 0.1% difference in temperature.  The camera is mounted underneath the helicopter (see background picture highlights), and is controlled via a controller box held by one of the three police officers who fly the chopper.   The housing of the camera actually contains two cameras.  One is the Infra Red camera and the other is a regular colour camera.  It has a little joystick for up and down movements as well as left and right, and also houses a monitor for viewing the images.  The camera is focused by twisting the stick left or right.
Zooming can also be performed on this camera as well as using a device that is called a Lens Doubler,  which basically doubles the standard wide angle view to a very close up view.  From the sky, the operator can see the number plate of a car driving down the street with doubler enabled.

Recording of images is also controlled by the operator and is recorded onto a digital DVCAM recorder.  When the Infra Red camera is being used, the operator sees everything in black & white.  The images he wants to see are coloured white where the heat is located.

The pictures can be downlinked to a receiver at either a mobile base or directly to the VPC.  Pictures sent down on a microwave link are received by the operator at the receiver and can are used to monitor traffic flow, crowds, events etc to give an overall picture on what is going on.

    On the monitor, the operator has the following information; GPS location information, Time, Date and other navigational information.