PUMA 4 Digital Voice Recorders

November 2012 - Versatile Information Products Inc. announced today the release of the new PUMA 4 Digital Voice Recorder, the newest version of the #1 selling digital recorder for law enforcement. The new PUMA 4 recorder is our finest yet, providing more storage space and greater sound quality than ever before.

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Police release PUMA audio reocrding of Deutsche Bank executive admitting drug use.

October 16, 2012  LOS ANGELES -- A PUMA digital voice recording of a Deutsche Bank executive telling Glendale police about his abuse of bath salts undercuts a $50-million brutality claim against two Los Angeles Police Department officers.

Deutsche Bank executive Brian C. Mulligan alleges that after he was injured in May by two LAPD officers, the LAPD manufactured a report that painted him as a snarling, thrashing man who told the officers he'd recently ingested drugs known as "bath salts."

But days before the confrontation, Mulligan apparently told a Glendale police officer a similar account to what appears in the LAPD report.

He said he'd previously snorted "white lightning," a type of bath salts, a synthetic drug, and believed that a helicopter had been trailing him, according to a Glendale police recording of the conversation using a PUMA Recorder.

Only time will tell whether this admission by Deutsche Bank vice chairman Brian Mulligan will be the unraveling of his $50 million lawsuit against the Los Angeles Police Department. Mulligan made the statement during a recorded conversation with a Glendale police officer just two day before his violent confrontation with LAPD officers, which is the basis of his suit against the department.

Full Story - CBS Los Angeles.com 10/15/2012 - Police release PUMA audio reocrding of Deutsche Bank executive admitting drug use.

AUDIO: PUMA Recording Glendale Police Department

Kelly Thomas: Police audio recording key to case

LOS ANGELES (LATimes, September 23, 2011 ) - "It can cut both ways," said Merrick Bobb, president of the Police Assessment Resource Center. "A recording allows the community and the department to see or hear what happened for themselves, instead of being forced to choose between believing the officer or the citizen. In departments that are trying to rebuild trust with the communities they serve, that can be a very effective tool."

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Police recordings key part of Calif. beating case

LOS ANGELES (AP) - As Fullerton police Officer Manuel Ramos approached a homeless man at a bus stop in July, he did what members of his department have been doing for a decade. 

He clicked on an audio recorder normally used to capture witness statements and exonerate officers accused of misconduct.
But prosecutors say the recorder captured something entirely different: the officer murdering a defenseless man suffering from schizophrenia.

Police agencies across the country are increasingly using audio and video devices to collect evidence, and they played a crucial role in prosecutors bringing murder charges this week against Ramos and an involuntary manslaughter count against a colleague, Cpl. Jay Cicinelli.

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Burlingame Police Department, CA

Burlingame Police Department, located in Northern California with 37 police officers, found it increasingly difficult to manage its existing mix of digital and analog tape recorders the department was using for citizen contacts and they struggled with the increasing complexity of finding important recordings when they needed them.  The department began to look into an alternative solution.  “We needed to standardize the way that we recorded, tracked, and stored our audio recordings,” says Captain Mike Matteucci of the Burlingame Police Department.  Their search led them to PUMA, the digital audio recorders and file management system designed specifically for law enforcement.  They found that the PUMA solution was widely used and highly recommended by the agencies using it.  Police Chief Jack Van Etten decided to move forward with PUMA.

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Montclair Police Department, CA

The Montclair Police Department was in need of a user-friendly and secure digital image management system.  Having successfully used its voice recording system for years, the Department sought help from Versatile Information Products.  In February 2011, VIP completed integration of PUMA Digital Photo Management Software into the Department’s existing voice recording system.  Department members are now able to transfer digital images to the system easily and efficiently.    

Depending on assigned access rights, users are able to view, print, and export images from any computer workstation.  A detailed audit log helps to ensure system security by tracking activity and transactions.  Gone are the days of burning photos to CDs, and booking CDs into evidence.  Officers now take more photos at crime scenes and spend less time processing them. 

Friendswood Police Department, TX

June 2010 - The Friendswood police department received grant funding from the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Stimulus to fund the purchase and installation of an in-car digital video system in 24 of the City's marked patrol fleet and deploy 56 PUMA-II digital recorders and the file management system.

Friendswood Police Department will replace their analog voice recorders that officers carry on their person and their in-car analog video tape system used in police patrol vehicles. The new PUMA audio recorders and the In-car video system will increase officer accountability, increase our conviction rates, reduce our liability in civil actions and provide the most effective, cost-efficient means to protect our officers and secure tamperproof evidence.

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Glendale Police Department, CA

June 2008 - New PUMA II Digital Recorders and the PUMA Management System will provide Glendale Police Department with a more reliable digital recorder for recording and software to provide easier access to information.  The Glendale Police Department has purchased the new PUMA II Digital recorders and PUMA Management software to replace their current digital recorders.

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Ontario Police Department, CA

May 2008 - Ontario Police Department has issued PUMA II Digital Recorders to replace Department issued tape recorders.  Police staff reviewed digital recording systems of numerous vendors and suppliers and found that the only product that met all desired specifications is the PUMA Digital Recorder and Software Management System which was specifically designed for law enforcement use.

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Manhattan Beach Police Department, CA

April 2008 - Manhattan Beach PD has issued PUMA II Digital Recorders to all Department personnel to record suspect statements, witness interviews and noteworthy encounters with members of the public during law enforcement activities.  The department feels that the ability to record official encounter with the PUMA II Digital Recorders will have a significant impact on successful criminal prosecutions and can reduce the amount of time necessary to investigate frivolous personnel complaints.  Currently, the Police Department uses the IN-Car Mobile Video System (MVS) to record official encounters with the public; however, the recording capability is limited by distance and virtually no reception once an officer enters a dwelling. 

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Torrance Police Department, CA

February 2008 - Torrance Police Department has selected PUMA II Digital Recorder to replace the current Department-issued tape recorders, worn by all sworn personnel and Services Officers assigned to field duty to keep TPD ahead of the technology curve.  Such a tool will vastly improve the security of voice recordings attained in the field and maximizes their value by allowing these recordings to be centrally managed and electronically organized.

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Alameda Police Department, CA

July 2008 – Alameda Police Department (CA) implements the PUMA File Management system to manage their growing volume of digital audio files created by the PUMA Police Special digital audio recorders. The recorders are used to record some official police contacts as well as to take statements from involved parties in criminal investigations. By obtaining the PUMA Management Software System, the Department will be able to effectively manage and control the digital audio files in a more secure, efficient  manner.

Pima County Sheriff's Department, AZ

February 2006 - Pima County Sheriff’s Department has added the PUMA Digital recorders to its investigative tool belt. After some extensive research and field testing, the Sheriff’s Department chose the PUMA digital recorder as a replacement for their traditional cassette recording system. Because it’s geared specifically for law enforcement needs, their new recorders will provide more recording time (up to 32 hrs), superior sound quality and trial acceptable digital files. The Department is currently in the process of providing digital recorders for all commissioned members.