Redmond PD’s new tool: Thermal imagers

The Redmond Police Department has a new tool in its arsenal. Officers can now see in the dark.

Thanks to a state grant, patrol officers are now carrying thermal imagers. The department received 20 devices, each costing $600 to $800, toward the end of last year.

Officers have already used them to catch suspects who, Lt. Curtis Chambers says they probably otherwise wouldn’t have caught.

Chambers said Friday the thermal imager is an invaluable tool for officers. And unlike night vision, which amplifies ambient light, thermal imagers see heat.

“So not only do people become visible, but also warm objects, recently touched objects,” Chambers said. “There’s a potential to even use this to locate footprints in soft soil or asphalt.”

Chambers said the thermal imagers recently were used to find a suspect in an unlit construction zone. This led to a DUII arrest.

He said he’s heard some feedback from the community, and wants to put a particular worry to rest.

“We are not out to look inside people’s houses,” Chambers said. “That is certainly a concern that we’ve heard, and that is not anything that we are doing. In fact, this does not allow for us to see through glass, so you can rest assured there.”