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Checkpoints are used throughout the world to try to stem the flood of animals parts:   ivory, horns, skins, bushmeat, and other contraband contributing to the muli-billion dollar bussiness in animal parts and the decimation of wildlife.

Checkpoints may be at border crossings – on logging roads – or any conduits used for smuggling.

They often are only a simple pole gate across a road, manned by a single inspector in an adjacent shack.

The value of the contraband being smuggled often greatly exceed the inspector’s salary.  The inspector is continually tempeted by bribes and intimidated by force. How then to insure that through inspections are carried out and that checkpoints are seen as an effective deterrent.

Camera Surveillance? - A fixed surveillance camera would only record the inspector looking into the bags….

But what the inspector  is seeing – only the inspector knows

There is a simple solution.

We need to be seeing – and recording –  the entire inspection process as seen through the inspectors eyes….

Head mounted cameras give us that ability…

 Head mounted cameras are increasing used by police departments to to record all interactions with suspects to allow for the  subsequent scrutiny by others to insure that the encounter was conducted properly.

That same technology can be re-purposed to help insure that all checkpoint inspections are done thoroughly.

The times of the pole-gate openings would be recorded and each video clip of inspections would be automatically time-stamped. A gate-opening event without a corresponding inspection video would constitute a serious infraction.   The video clip would be required of be an uninterrupted - no gaps – recording of each inspection.  Each vehicle inspection should proceed in a uniform manner. Depending on the situation, it might include such things as the vehicle’s licence plate, the driver’s papers, the driver’s  face and faces of all the passengers, every where the inspector looked would be recorded, all the bags he opened – and what he saw in them – as well as any bags or obvious places he should have investigated – but avoided doing so.  If, in subsequent examination of recordings it that an inspector was avoiding looking in items that he should have or in any way not doing a through inspection, he would be subject to disciplinary action. All videos taken would be archived in a database that would accessible to multiple, independent authorities on a need to know basis.

Head mounted cameras intended  for law enforcement use are available from commercial sources. this one from Taser.

That unit is unnecessarily expensive – by a lot.

However, the  popularity of helmet cams for action sports could make inexpensive substitutes, such as this widely popular one from GoPro.

Software, in either case, would need to be tailored to local requirements.

An open source project perhaps?

Thoughts, suggestions, comments most welcome!