Learn how law enforcement surveillance equipment helps departments extend visibility, respond faster, and support officers in the field.
It’s a complicated time to work in law enforcement. Departments across the country are up against shrinking rosters, growing responsibilities, and intense public scrutiny. Between 2020 and 2023, the total number of officers declined by 5% and resignations were at an all time high.
With fewer new hires coming in and more officers stepping away, departments have been leaning harder than ever on overtime just to keep up. Take Austin, Texas, for example, where the police department spent $55 million on overtime in 2020, exceeding its budget by $31 million. Or the Kent Police Department in Washington, which paid $4.1 million in overtime pay in 2024—28% higher than the preceding year.
On top of that, public perception of law enforcement is wavering. A Gallup poll showed that just 51% of Americans have confidence in the police—the third-lowest level ever recorded.
All of these factors put departments in a difficult position. They need to protect more, be more visible, respond faster, and do it all while earning back public trust and operating with fewer resources than ever. So it’s no surprise that law enforcement surveillance equipment is evolving; what worked 10 years ago just isn’t cutting it in this environment.
Luckily, mobile surveillance units offer departments an efficient, cost-effective way to extend visibility, improve responsiveness, and support officers in the field.
Fixed surveillance systems come with a long list of time-consuming requirements like getting permits, running power, or preparing permanent foundations. But when a location suddenly becomes a public safety concern—whether it's a school, a park, or a homeless encampment—departments can’t wait weeks for cameras to go live.
Mobile surveillance units eliminate the wait. They can be set up and operational in under an hour, and moved just as easily. That means law enforcement can respond to existing threats, cover temporary problem areas, and adjust their coverage as needed.
“Force multiplier” might sound like a buzzword, but in this case, it fits. Mobile surveillance units help departments cover more ground and maintain visibility in more places without pulling officers away from other critical duties. They offer 24/7 monitoring, require no benefits or breaks, and never call in sick.
Thanks to remote connectivity, a single officer, or even a civilian employee, stationed at a command center can monitor several sites across the city at once. This means departments can keep eyes on all of their hotspots even if they don’t have the resources to position officers in those areas.
While traditional solutions may falter in harsh conditions, mobile units don’t miss a beat during snowstorms, flooding, high winds, or heat waves.
LVT® Units specifically have a standard IP rating of 54, which means they’re sealed tight against dust and protected from splashing water. Everything from the core unit to the battery housing is built to prevent water or debris from getting in. And because they run on solar power, they’re not susceptible to grid outages. This is a crucial advantage during natural disasters or large-scale emergencies, where traditional infrastructure often fails first and law enforcement is stretched thinner than ever.
Mobile surveillance units provide something human eyes can’t: 24/7 video coverage of a location. That footage is automatically stored in the cloud, easy to access, and ready when it’s needed for criminal investigations or legal proceedings.
But capturing that much video does present a challenge—managing and reviewing it all. That’s where AI analytics come in. Instead of officers manually reviewing hours of footage, AI-powered law enforcement surveillance equipment can identify patterns, flag unusual behavior, and send real-time alerts when something’s off.
Managing large crowds at protests, festivals, concerts, or sporting events can put a huge strain on law enforcement resources. Officers can’t be everywhere at once, but leaving a massive crowd unmonitored and hoping for the best isn’t an option.
Mobile surveillance units give departments the flexibility to monitor crowd movement, reposition coverage as needed, and direct response efforts from a centralized location. Even if agencies can only spare one or two officers to be on-site, a couple of strategically positioned surveillance units can eliminate blind spots.
Mobile surveillance units aren’t just a workaround for staffing shortages or a stopgap during emergencies. They’re part of a bigger shift in how cities think about public safety. These units are smart city solutions built to be flexible, efficient, and eco-friendly. By deploying them, law enforcement agencies aren’t just reacting to problems. They’re adopting a scalable solution that aligns with how cities are evolving and laying the foundation for a safer future.
Law enforcement departments are under pressure to do more with less, and our mobile surveillance units make that possible. They support investigations, enhance situational awareness, and help officers make faster, better-informed decisions.
LVT sets the standard for law enforcement surveillance equipment. Contact our team today for a quote.
