Whilst funding cuts are expected to slow market growth over the next two years, the long term outlook is optimistic. Currently US police agencies can apply for approximately USD4 billion in grant funding. Additionally, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is likely to provide funding for US police agencies, driving growth from 2011 onwards.

There is also plenty of opportunity in this market, with 18,000 independent municipalities in the US, each capable of purchasing mobile video surveillance equipment. With over 40% of the 450,000 police cars in America already fitted with digital video surveillance, penetration in the US is higher than in countries like the UK, where video systems are installed predominantly in traffic cars. This has resulted in the US accounting for more than 80% of the global market.

Market analyst at IMS Research, Niall Jenkins commented, "Video surveillance in police cars is becoming much more common as police departments see the benefits it can bring. The video is primarily used as evidence, with watermarking or similar verification techniques used to guarantee that the video has not been tampered with. However, video can also be used to defend the conduct of a police officer against any complaints made. It is also possible for the officer to flag a recording for review back at the station. This is usually part of a training and evaluation program."

IMS Research's recently completed report, "The World Market for Mobile Video Surveillance Equipment - 2009 Edition" addresses this and many other relevant topics in detail.