How useful would it be to make the database of images gathered by the video cameras arrayed around the typical credit union branch searchable like Google?

That's what Members 1st Federal Credit Union is finding out, as it moves ahead with its rollout of the 3VR SmartRecorder solution across its 43-branch network in central Pennsylvania. Using cameras hooked to black boxes that look like traditional video recorder systems, the 3VR solution can do such things as identify a photo of a person who deposited a bad check and quickly search for a match. Same thing with a license plate at an ATM. Or a partial license plate.

"What this lets us do is quickly search across our network to see if this particular person shows up anywhere else. And if they have, it can help us build a pretty complete case to hand over to law enforcement. One that will get their attention," said Chip McBreen, assistant vice president for fraud and security services at $1.8 billion Members 1st in Mechanicsburg.