Public Safety Cameras Aid Chattanooga Police in Investigations

Public Safety Cameras Aid Chattanooga Police in Investigations

The Chattanooga Police Department has 29 public safety cameras located around the city and plans to add more.

  • By Jessica Davis
  • Apr 24, 2019

The Chattanooga Police Department was aided in a recent homicide investigation by footage from a public safety camera. The department has 29 public safety cameras installed around the city and plans to add more.

A 32-year-old man was shot and killed in Chattanooga on April 15, in the line of sight of one of the most-used public safety cameras, which live stream video to the police department. Within about 30 minutes of pulling footage of the incident, investigators were able to identify a suspect, who turned himself in the next day.

The police department’s 29 public safety cameras are each encased in a large, white box marked with the police department’s badge and a flashing blue light. Police said they’re located in public areas where citizens have no expectation of privacy. The public safety cameras, in addition to the city’s roughly 300 security cameras, feed into the police department’s Real-Time Intelligence Center.

The center contains a large screen that takes up most of a wall, upon which 16 live streams are displayed. The security and safety camera footage is saved for no longer than 30 days, unless it’s saved for evidence in an investigation or case.

Last year, video footage was requested in a total of 109 incidents. Of those requests, 76 had usable footage content. In the first two months of 2019, there have been 158 requests for video, with 70 containing useable footage. The increased requests are likely due to improved camera placement.

The police department is currently in the process of adding five more cameras and reevaluating current camera placement to see if any should be moved. The new cameras will cost about $68,000, a cost included in the original 2017 capital project.

The department’s crime analysts look at several metrics to determine whether cameras should be moved, including violence crime stats and the number of service calls attached to each camera. Neighborhood police officers look at those results and offer their input, after which lieutenants take the data and present it at Community Police Interaction Committee Meetings.

About the Author

Jessica Davis is the Associate Content Editor for 1105 Media.

Featured

  • Evolving Cybersecurity Strategies: Uniting Human Risk Management and Security Awareness Training

    Organizations are increasingly turning their attention to human-focused security approaches, as two out of three (68%) cybersecurity incidents involve people. Threat actors are shifting from targeting networks and systems to hacking humans via social engineering methods, living off human errors as their most prevalent attack vector. Whether manipulated or not, human cyber behavior is leveraged to gain backdoor access into systems. This mainly results from a lack of employee training and awareness about evolving attack techniques employed by malign actors. Read Now

  • Report: 1 in 3 Easily Exploitable Vulnerabilities Found on Cloud Assets

    CyCognito recently released new research highlighting critical security vulnerabilities across cloud-hosted assets, revealing that one in three easily exploitable vulnerabilities or misconfigurations are found on cloud assets. As organizations increasingly shift to multi-cloud strategies, the findings underscore significant security gaps that could provide attackers with potential footholds into networks. Read Now

  • Built for Today, Ready for Tomorrow

    Selecting the right VMS is critical for any organization that depends on video surveillance to ensure safety, security and operational efficiency. While many organizations focus on immediate needs such as budget and deployment size, let us review some of the long-term considerations that can significantly impact a VMS's utility and flexibility. Read Now

  • Paving the Way to Smart Buildings

    In today's rapidly evolving security landscape, the convergence of on-prem, edge and cloud technologies are critical. The physical security landscape is undergoing a profound transformation, driven by the rapid digitalization of buildings and the evolving needs of modern organizations. As the buildings sector pivots towards smart, AI and data-driven operations, the integration of both edge and cloud technology has become crucial. Read Now

  • The Cybersecurity Time Bomb

    If you work in physical security, you have probably seen it: a camera, access control system, or intrusion detection device installed years ago, humming along without a single update. It is a common scenario that security professionals have come to accept as "normal." But here is the reality: this mindset is actively putting organizations at risk. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • Unified VMS

    AxxonSoft introduces version 2.0 of the Axxon One VMS. The new release features integrations with various physical security systems, making Axxon One a unified VMS. Other enhancements include new AI video analytics and intelligent search functions, hardened cybersecurity, usability and performance improvements, and expanded cloud capabilities

  • A8V MIND

    A8V MIND

    Hexagon’s Geosystems presents a portable version of its Accur8vision detection system. A rugged all-in-one solution, the A8V MIND (Mobile Intrusion Detection) is designed to provide flexible protection of critical outdoor infrastructure and objects. Hexagon’s Accur8vision is a volumetric detection system that employs LiDAR technology to safeguard entire areas. Whenever it detects movement in a specified zone, it automatically differentiates a threat from a nonthreat, and immediately notifies security staff if necessary. Person detection is carried out within a radius of 80 meters from this device. Connected remotely via a portable computer device, it enables remote surveillance and does not depend on security staff patrolling the area.

  • AC Nio

    AC Nio

    Aiphone, a leading international manufacturer of intercom, access control, and emergency communication products, has introduced the AC Nio, its access control management software, an important addition to its new line of access control solutions.