06 September 2004
Strathclyde Police purchase Sony camcorders from Boxer Scotland


Strathclyde Police have recently invested in ten Sony DSR-PDX10P DVCAM camcorders, purchased through Sony authorised reseller Boxer Scotland.
Ray Eddie, a Principal Scene Examiner with Strathclyde Police, said the decision to go with an authorised reseller was due to a need for dependability. “I need a reliable dealer who can offer instant back-up if required. Indeed, at a training day two of our cameras were changed after only half an hour in use. It’s in these situations I know Boxer will pull out the stops to help us with replacements at short notice. Some firms might be cheaper but they also might not provide the service we require.”
Eddie contacted several companies when given the job of selecting the kit and supplier for his department’s very specific needs. Boxer Scotland won the tender with a very competitive quote.
“Boxer are a good company with a distinctive pedigree and are always helpful and offer good advice on items as diverse as weatherproof housings to batteries.”
Eddie added: “The try before you buy service we were offered by Sony was very beneficial. Some Sony cameras, although boasting many attributes, were not specific to our needs. We were given cameras to trial and we soon realised that even in a training situation, cameras are not meant to withstand missiles thrown at them.”
Eddie’s department as a whole has multifunctional staff who do everything relating to scene of crime work from taking images of crime scenes, to fingerprinting and forensic examinations. Although all staff know how to use a video camera, a small team are trained specifically as Video Evidence Gatherers. Most of the team members are Force Support staff rather than police officers.
Strathclyde Police chose to go through an authorised reseller, but there are other alternatives, for instance parallel importing. This is the phenomenon of buying a product from abroad, even though it is available in your own country, because it may appear to be cheaper due to currency fluctuations, or special deals. However with broadcast equipment, along with all other electrical goods, customers have to be very sure about what they are getting.
Stuart Currie, manager at Boxer in Glasgow agrees that security is needed when making important purchasing decisions. “What sets us apart is that we provide local support,” he said. “We have an engineering workshop here along with a full pre-sales and after-sales service that clients such as Strathclyde Police can tap into whenever they want.”
Technical support can be crucial, and it helps if it is free. Without a warranty, which only comes from an authorised reseller, a buyer is liable to pay for all repairs themselves and this can work out expensive. For instance, the head change on a VTR can cost around £2,000.
The sale to Strathclyde Police came after weeks of detailed consultation. “We completed a research and technical investigation and let them know what would be best for their needs, not only the cameras but add-ons such as cases. This is not something you get when you go the grey import route. If you buy from outside the area, maybe even outside the country, then you will not be a priority if things go wrong – after sales care is limited when you buy from un-authorised sources,” he said.
“Another advantage of using a dealer such as ourselves, apart from the fact that replacement cameras are available if things go wrong and repair services, is the fact that you have the ability to try out cameras, often the newest models, which are not available elsewhere. There are also factors such as a two-year warranty and interest free credit deals.”
There is a further issue, as regards pricing: don’t believe the first thing you see on screen. Currie and other authorised resellers are wary of companies who are not truthful about their prices. Often the price quoted on the computer screen does not include import duties, tax or VAT.
As for Boxer, “We are in the business of setting up a long term relationship, we want to sell more than ten cameras to the client, so it is in our interest to give them a good service. We look after people for the life of their kit and further,” said Currie.
(GB)