Fifty years ago this month, the October 1968 issue of Popular Mechanics shows this early rendition of a police dash cam.  According to the magazine, the Connecticut State Police had just started using the system shown here. The Sony camera was mounted on the dash, with a small microphone hanging around the officer’s neck. The back seat was taken up by the video recorder and monitor. The system ran entirely on 12 volts, at a cost of “less than $2000.”

The article quoted Sgt. Nelson Hurlburt, who reported that he simply let the tape keep running while on patrol. The tape had 30 minutes of recording time, so if he didn’t catch anything at the end of that time, he rewound the tape and started over. The lens was adjusted three times, at the beginning of his shift, again at 10:00 AM, and then again at dusk. The camera could automatically adjust to changing light levels during the day.

The magazine noted that the videotape evidence made a compelling case to the driver who was pulled over or, if necessary, in court.