All Eyes on You

Pennsylvania community uses surveillance system to help deter crime

• By Sherri Sanjurjo
• Oct 03, 2006

The mission of the Forks Township Police Department is quite clear to all residents who live within the Pennsylvania township. With cameras and DVRs installed, it is evident that public safety and efficient law enforcement is considered paramount. An enhanced quality of life is what has driven installer ICU Security to do what it has done for the community.

Presently, more than 60 cameras have been installed internally and externally at the police department, municipal building and fire department.

"Homeland security is of the utmost importance to us here in Easton," said patrolman and part owner of ICU Security Jeffery Keifer. "We have to ensure that those who are working to keep our town safe also are protected. Ensuring safety on all levels is paramount to us all."

Before the installation of the equipment, anyone who wanted to open the doors had to manually do so, which was often a burden for disabled children. The new hardware makes opening doors an effortless task for the families and their children -- all it takes is a simple push of a button.

Installing All Cameras
ICU Security also has installed cameras in the community center and town park. The cameras in these areas have served as a successful deterrent to vandalism and destruction of property. Keifer said because of the cameras, police were able to catch a suspect who was destroying the field in one of the municipal parks. Because of a remote feature on the camera systems that police were able to fully use this option to its full potential.

"We were never able to catch this person; we would always arrive on the scene too late. This person was destroying city property with their car by practicing stunts, doing donuts or peeling out," Keifer said.

PTZ cameras were installed, and within two days, the police department caught the suspected vandal and the city was able to work on restoring the city's property. The property damage has not reoccurred since. The remote monitoring feature has added an intangible value to the city's security strategy.

The ability to manage remotely saves immense amounts of time and is a cost-effective security solution. Facilities, institutions and specific-area locations can be monitored around the clock from home or other offices 24 hours a day. Data can be searched and stored for later use. This allows managers to remain abreast of what is happening at all times. For Easton city officials, the capability is a major deterrent to potential criminal behavior.

Improving Safety
Keifer and business partner Bob Marich have both witnessed the improvement of public safety, as well as the assistance the technology has given to law enforcement in Easton.

Domestic violence is another challenge that has been policed and controlled, as some parents involved in shared custody of children have opted to pick up and drop off the child at the police station. Cameras outside the station's grounds are able to record any attempts of violence during these exchanges.

"You know that your security program is working when constituents feel safe enough to drop their child off at the police station," Keifer said.

From an operational standpoint, the i3DVR camera and security system throughout the police department, fire department, municipal buildings, town parks and community center has saved an enormous amount of time and money in the public safety strategy of the city. By 2007, every patrolman will have a laptop in their car that will allow them to view all cameras remotely. Gone are the days where patrolman had to patrol on foot or even access a desktop PC to view the city. In addition to this time-saving technology, police can continue to be proactive by watching for potential city threats.

A Moment in Time
"The search capabilities on the recorders have saved the police a tremendous amount of time," Keifer said.

Usually, it would take hours to search through recorded video to find pertinent information. However, this standard feature is one of the selling features for ICU Security. By choosing a date and approximate time of the incident, users can have the evidence in a matter of minutes.

"This saves us a tremendous amount of time and effort for any business," Keifer said. "In our business, getting evidence in a timely manner is crucial."