New York, NY September 21, 2008 -- Technological assistance and equipment provided by the Sensors, Surveillance and Biometric Technologies Center of Excellence, a program of the National Institute of Justice, was instrumental in saving the lives of at least three people (one SWAT officer and two suspects) in recent SWAT operations, according to the Cobb County Police Department in Georgia.

"The Cobb County partnership is a perfect example of the Center of Excellence, the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center (NLECTC) system, and the Technical Support Working Group (TSWG) collaborating to connect state and local law enforcement officers with life-saving, next-generation technologies, resulting in legitimate operational improvements," said Steve Brawner, SWAT Electronics Technician of the Cobb County Georgia Police Department.

The Cobb County Police Department recently identified the need for improved situational awareness when conducting SWAT activities. A key component was that officers be able to identify dangerous weapon or personnel threats before entering a building or room.

The Cobb County PD communicated this need to the Center, which supports R&D and advanced technology adoption for more than 19,000 state and local law enforcement agencies nationwide. The Center responded by evaluating various sensor devices, ultimately identifying and supplying (through a partnership with the US Army and the TSWG) the Remington Eyeball R-1 tactical camera system. This system was supplied to the agency for evaluation due to its rugged mobile capability and use of IR illumination to see into total darkness or through smoke.

Within 24 hours, the Cobb County PD SWAT Team responded to two potentially deadly situations. In both cases the subject was barricaded inside a dark building, threatening the SWAT officers with a deadly weapon.

In each situation, officers were able to utilize the omni-directional surveillance device to transmit streaming video and audio to a Personal Display Unit, either by mounting the device on a pole or rolling it through a cracked door. This mobile surveillance transmission allowed SWAT officers to assess the situation before entering the room, determining the subject's location relative to that of officers and detecting the presence of weapons.

The unit ultimately saved officers from surprise - and potentially fatal - gun and knife attacks and allowed the officers to avoid the use of deadly force.

The Center provides scientific engineering advice and support, outreach and networking, and R&D program support to the criminal justice community.

For more information or to find out how the Center can assist your organization, please contact the Center at SSBCOE@biometricgroup.com or call 212.809.9491.

About National Institute of Justice:
National Institute of Justice (NIJ) is the research, development, and evaluation agency of the U.S. Department of Justice and is dedicated to researching crime control and justice issues. NIJ provides objective, independent, evidence-based knowledge and tools to meet the challenges of crime and justice, particularly at the State and local levels. NIJ's principal authorities are derived from the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, as amended (see 42 USC § 3721-3723) and Title II of the Homeland Security Act of 2002.

About Sensors, Surveillance, and Biometric Technologies Center of Excellence:
The Department of Justice's Office of Justice Programs (OJP) established the Sensors, Surveillance, and Biometric Technologies Center of Excellence to serve as a specialized technology resource for the 19,000+ state and local law enforcement and corrections agencies across the U.S. The Center of Excellence operates within the existing National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center (NLECTC) system, a component of OJP's National Institute of Justice (NIJ). The Department of Justice selected International Biometric Group (IBG) to operate the Center of Excellence. Learn more at www.justnet.org.

Press Contact
Brianna Barry
212.809.9491
bbarry @ biometricgroup.com