Denver, Colorado Law Enforcement are getting an upgrade:




http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=70903

DENVER - Law enforcement agencies in 10 Colorado counties now have a new tool officers say will ultimately help the people they protect.

The North Central Region of Homeland Security spent $35,000 and purchased night-vision goggles. Agencies in each of the 10 counties (Douglas, Arapahoe, Adams, Jefferson, Denver, Elbert, Clear Creek, Gilpin, Boulder, Broomfield) will get four to use.

"There is a lot of different scenarios where law enforcement could utilize a device like this," said Jamie Moore, Emergency Management Director for the Douglas County Sheriff's Office. "When they're doing observation at night time of an area, or if they if they have an active shooter, there is somebody that is operating in a building at night and law enforcement is not able to see very well."

At $3,500 each, some police departments and sheriff's offices may not have been able to purchase the equipment that officers say can be used in other ways than fighting crime.

"Quite often we'll get a missing child who wanders out from the house late at night," said Trevor Materasso, an investigator with the Westminster Police Department. "We get an elderly person suffering from some condition, it allows us to go out and search for those people at night."

The device operates off an infrared system that picks up ambient light the human eye can't see, says Materasso.

"They (officers) may see a bad guy before the bad guy sees them. It allows them to approach that situation differently," said Materasso.

Moore said night-vision goggles have been used by the military for many years, but it's the first time some in the local law enforcement are getting a hold of the equipment.

"This sort of technology just doesn't exist on the local level or at least it hasn't historically. So what we're doing here today in the Denver Metro area is extremely unique."

For Materasso, it's an upgrade to some old-fashioned tools.

"In open fields and late at night a flash light will have a tremendous amount of limitation," he said. "If we were forced to search a field for a missing child using flashlights, there is a good possibility that we're going to miss stuff."

Nearly 50 members of various agencies spent several days this month in complete darkness, some days in an abandoned school, learning how the devices work.

"It helps the police department do its job more efficiently, more effectively and quicker," Materasso said.

Officers from the following police departments participated in the training: Louisville, Glendale, Greenwood, Idaho Springs, Boulder, Blackhawk, Arvada, Aurora, Parker, Denver, Golden, Brighton, Westminster, and Broomfield.

Deputies from the following Sheriff's Offices took part in the training as well: Douglas County, Arapahoe County, and Jefferson County.