|
MO crimefighters going high-tech
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
BANK PITCHES IN - Southern Bank executive Greg Eloshway is shown here presenting a check for $5,000 to Mayor Ray McDonald Sr. for bank participation in the town’s planned video surveillance system. Other businesses and Mount Olive College are also expected to get on board in the days ahead. (Contributed photo)
|
|
|
|
|
By William Holloman
Staff Writer
Plans are moving forward for some high tech availability to fight crime in the Town of Mount Olive.
The town has been looking into the availability of some video equipment to be placed at strategic points to fight crime.
Already, Southern Bank has said yes.
There was a ceremony the other day when Southern Bank Executive Greg Eloshway presented the town a check for $5,000 as the bank’s comtribution to making the video system a reality.
Mount Olive College and some other businesses are expected to follow the same path, and the town has plans to pay for several others.
Others, officials say, are expected to follow.
The video cameras would be placed at strategic points throughout town and businesses hooking into the system would get the benefit of around the clock (24/7) monitoring by local police.
Mount Olive Police have the computer equipment in their cruisers to bring up the video camera activity at any point in town, or where the cameras are installed.
The town plans to install cameras at both town parks- Westbrook Park and Nelson Street Park.
Other cameras under consideration, particularly the bank, will monitor their business.
The cameras cost about $4,500 and it is a one time expense, and the hookup with the police department for around the clock monitoring is not an additional expense.
Town manager Charles Brown said it all stemmed from an interest by former town commissioner Ed Cromartie to install video cameras throughout town to help curb residential break-ins.
Cromartie is now a member of the Wayne County Board of Commissioners.
That intent turned out not to be feasible, but where the town is headed now is gaining interests from businesses.
“I think as people see what this system can do they will become more and more interested in getting involved in what we are doing,” Brown said.
He also noted that with such a system in place, an on-duty officer on patrol, for example, could see on video in his car a situation in the south end of town, even if he was in the north end, and make an immediate decision as to how to handle that situation.
“Basically,” said the town manger, “what it does is give us double the manpower on the street.”
He said it will probably be sometime this summer before the system is running.
|
|
|