The nighttime surveillance photographer must
rely on existing ambient light to illuminate the scene—not
a flash. The AstroScope night vision module from Electrophysics
Corp., located in Fairfield, New Jersey, allows the photographer
to do just that.
The AstroScope
model 9350NIKS-3PRO, made for Nikon camera bodies and lenses,
is 5 inches long and weighs less than 1 1/2 pounds. (Electrophysics
also offers models that fit Canon EOS and XL cameras as well
as Sony and other manufacturer's camcorders and video cameras.)
The Image-Intensifier is a Gen III component with 64 line-pair/mm
resolution—the same unit used in the U.S. Military AN/PVS-14
night vision pocketscope/monocular. The CIU (Central Intensifier
Unit) within the AstroScope amplifies existing light (moonlight,
street lights, traffic signals, etc.) to a degree that produces
sharp, high-resolution photographs.
Taking pictures with the aid of an AstroScope
is straightforward. Once attached to the camera, the photographer
is free to use any lens in his camera kit, from a 28mm wide-angle
lens to a 50mm normal lens or a 300mm Tamron telephoto lens
with 2X teleconverter.
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As with nearly all night vision equipment, the
AstroScope photographs have a green color to them. Officers may
want to convert nighttime surveillance photography to black and
white because digitally enhancing black-and-white photos can
be much easier than color images. Some cameras, like the D1x,
specifically have a black-and-white shooting mode.
Officers can capture most photographs with the
AstroScope night vision equipment using a relatively fast shutter
speed, for example 1/60th second, which is normally the fastest
shutter speed recommended for night vision photography. Shutter
speeds this fast and faster allow a photographer to take photos
while hand-holding the camera and without the visible shake
associated with slower shutter speeds. With the Tamron 300 and
2X teleconverter, an officer would want to utilize a monopod,
as the size and weight of the equipment requires a steady support,
even at fast shutter speeds.
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As a member of the Internet Crimes Against Children
Task Force of Iowa, I have been involved in investigations involving
online exploitation of children. These investigations often find
me online in chat rooms, posing as a minor. A recent investigation
involved a 34-year-old man soliciting my assumed online identity
for sex. He arranged a meeting with me in a neighborhood park,
where he was going to meet me, drive me to his residence for
a sexual encounter and return me to the park several hours later.
Following is an outline of the factors considered as I prepared
to record the encounter with photography.
I had control of the meeting site from the beginning,
so I chose a familiar location—a park that is deserted
after dark. Pedestrian traffic at night is nearly non-existent,
and vehicular traffic is sporadic. There also is a stand of
trees running along the west edge of the park, which offered
better cover and concealment. I operated covertly without sacrificing
my view of the scene.
Three lights illuminate the immediate area surrounding
the park shelter chosen for the meeting site. One of the lights
is well into the park and would illuminate the shelter from
the rear. Another is at the entrance to the parking lot, and
the third is on the street nearly 200 feet away from the parking
lot. Very little light was available at the scene—therefore,
conventional photography was out of the question; so I chose
to use the night vision module.
I used a Nikon D50 digital SLR camera with the
AstroScope and a Tamron lens attached. Even with the camera,
night vision module and lens mounted on my monopod, I was able
to freely and quickly move up and down the stand of trees, photographing
the suspect's first approach, his entry into the park and the
take-down.
A female officer was assigned to walk into the
park just prior to the meeting time. She would take up a position
in the shelter and wait for the suspect to approach. This officer
was armed and would be able to communicate with others on scene
via her portable radio. We decided ahead of time that if the
suspect showed, he would be confronted by officers prior to
being allowed to approach and otherwise come into contact with
our officer, who he believed would be a 15-year-old girl.
As he said he would, the suspect approached the
park area driving the vehicle he had described online. He first
drove by the park, turned around two blocks down the street,
drove back and then pulled into the park. He was immediately
confronted by officers and arrested at the scene. The entire
incident took less than 3 minutes—from the time he first
came into view to the arrest. During that time, I was able to
take many photographs, some of which are shown here.
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In the photo below and to the left, taken from
a distance of approximately 500 feet, the female officer is walking
into the park. This photo is interesting because the officer
had noticed a car pulling into a drive, which is just out of
the picture to the left, just before I captured the image. Believing
this vehicle may be the suspect (entering the park from a direction
other than what was anticipated), she drew her weapon and carried
it next to her right leg as she continued walking. The weapon
is visible on extreme enlargement of the photo.
The photo on the right side shows the officer
sitting under the shelter in the upper-left corner of the photo.
The officer is recognizable in this photo, even though she is
under the shelter overhang, albeit illuminated by backlighting
of a park light. The suspect vehicle has pulled into the parking
lot, and told that the girl would walk to his car, the suspect
waits. One officer was not in place, so there was an unplanned
delay in taking down the suspect. Again, according to the plan,
we would not allow him to exit his vehicle and approach the
officer.
The photo in the lower right corner shows the
suspect sitting in his car waiting for the girl to approach
him. Although this image does not show his face, at least two
photos show him looking out his driver's side window, and he
is easily recognizable.
I was able to move freely along the stand of trees
at the edge of the park. Preplanning this possibility should
always be considered, as the suspect and activity may not act
as anticipated. This particular scene was extremely dark. The
light showing in the background actually cast a shadow into
the parking lot, and the other nearest street light was more
than 200 feet away.
The photo in the upper left corner was captured
after the suspect was taken into custody. It shows that the
car and its plate can be easily identified even though there
is no street light within 200 feet of the car. It is easily
identified as a 2005 Pontiac Grand Prix four-door. In many cases,
a suspect vehicle under surveillance is allowed to leave the
area of activity. Had we chosen to do that, and had I not gotten
a license number, the photo could have been taken to a dealer
and the model identified as a GT, narrowing the search for the
vehicle. (The license number is purposely blocked out in this
photo.)
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