MERIDIAN TOWNSHIP - Thermal imaging technology allows law enforcement officers to see their surroundings in a whole new way.

These devices offer a “heat picture” of the environment, making it easier to identify a number of different things not visible to the human eye.

The equipment doesn’t take pictures like a normal camera, but instead it identifies the temperature of objects.

Hot objects will appear white, cold objects black, and there is a grey scale for objects with moderate temperatures.

The heat signatures can help police officers identify missing persons, running fugitives, stolen property, and more.

Ken Plaga, Assistant Chief at the Meridian Township Police Department, stated, “Our human bodies, they throw off heat. Also cars that have been recently driven will be hotter than a car that has been sitting in a parking lot. Brakes will also glow hotter if they have been recently used as opposed to having sat for a period of time. We utilize these for several reasons, one and the most often, is if we have a missing person.”

The Meridian Township Police Department has two of these devices that can see up to 2 miles away.

Although the thermal imaging cameras have some limitations, such as not being able to see through walls or windows, they are still a very crucial tool in a police officer's toolbox to help them complete their jobs.