MISSION: SECURE COMMUNITY AND REDUCE CRIME
Chattanooga is the 4th largest city in the state of Tennessee. It occupies an area of 143.2 square miles and is home to more than 175,000 residents. The City of Chattanooga and Chattanooga Police Department (CPD) had been looking for innovative ways to secure their large community and combat local crime. Chattanooga authorities decided to expand their existing surveillance camera capabilities to allow for instant analysis of real-time video and include video analytics. They searched for an advanced and reliable technology solution that could capture, transmit, and record high-quality video, as well as provide this data to authorities whenever needed. After considering multiple solutions through their competitive bid program, the City of Chattanooga and CPD selected Total Recall’s public safety video system: the CrimeEye RD-2.
SOLUTION: THE CRIMEEYE RD-2 VIDEO SAFETY SYSTEM
In April 2017, during the first phase of the program, CPD installed 15 CrimeEye RD-2 camera units in various parts of the City of Chattanooga. The cameras were attached to the city poles with the specially engineered mounts that are included with the system. CrimeEye units were positioned to monitor the areas where crime occurred often.
The CrimeEye RD-2 is the latest in Total Recall’s CrimeEye line of digital video solutions. It is a turnkey, self-contained camera unit which incorporates all the components necessary for effective public safety video monitoring, including the best-in-class HDTV camera, pole mount, emergency battery backup, optional local network video recorder, and WiFi. The CrimeEye RD-2 uses Axis dome network cameras and Genetec’s Security Center Omnicast™ IP video management system to stream live HD-quality video to CPD’s new, advanced Real-Time Intelligence Center. Recorded video is stored for up to 30 days for any post-event forensics needs.
CrimeEye RD-2 mounted on a pole
CPD found the CrimeEye RD-2’s ease of use and portability of utmost value to them. “One of the best features of the CrimeEye system is that it is very adjustable, flexible, dynamic and easy to move,” said Chattanooga’s former Chief of Police Fred Fletcher. “It was really exciting to be able to have the plug-and-play capacity with GigaSPEED fiber pretty much everywhere in the city.”
The CrimeEye RD-2 is designed to be easily installed, removed, and securely transported to a deployment area. Its patented enclosure protects the camera from damage during transportation. Such portability enables CPD to move CrimeEye RD-2 units between locations as needed, as well as using them for temporary deployment purposes to ensure safety during large public events. “We are able to use the technology not just to assist us with this violent crime, but to make sure we stay safe when we host events with thousands of people all around our city,” stated Chattanooga’s Mayor Andy Berke.
To address privacy concerns, CPD intentionally wanted to make the camera units easily identifiable. White boxes stand out on city poles and are clearly marked with a CPD shield. Thus, all residents are aware of the camera locations.
RESULT: ENHANCED PUBLIC SAFETY IN LESS THAN 3 MONTHS
Within a short time, the CrimeEye solution proved to be a critically important tool in carrying out CPD’s duties of ensuring safety and security in the city. “CrimeEye promotes crime reduction, community safety, continues building relationships with our community, assists in solving all sorts of crimes, and aids prosecutors in putting criminals in jail,” said Fletcher.
Walnut Street Bridge, Chattanooga
The new camera systems not only assisted with ensuring public safety but also made Chattanooga’s residents feel more secure. They were glad to see cameras installed in their neighborhoods starting right at the time they were first mounted for a pilot run. “We had a demo camera up a couple of weeks ago, and it was only up for a 24-hour period. After the demo ended, we had a crew to go out, along with our partners, to take it down. While in the process of doing so, a gentleman was walking his granddaughter home from school and begged us not to take it down,” shared CPD Lieutenant John Chambers.
In less than 3 months after its installation, CrimeEye captured key evidence used to resolve a major crime case. On August 10th, 2017, with the help of CrimeEye, CPD was able to solve the July 26th homicide of Chattanooga resident Desmond Clay. To investigate the crime, the Chattanooga Police Department retrieved video footage of the victim’s car recorded by an outdoor CrimeEye RD-2 video unit. This evidence helped to identify the suspect and proceed with his arrest. “This is precisely what our CrimeEye units were designed for: to reliably record high-quality video and provide that information to authorities quickly and efficiently,” said Jordan Heilweil, Total Recall’s President of Sales.
“CrimeEye public safety cameras are a force multiplier. This technology serves as an extra set of eyes for the police department, keeping 24-hour watch over the most violent areas of the city. The video captured by the camera was instrumental in clearing this homicide case in a very timely manner,” said CPD current Chief of Police David Roddy.
Inspired by the success achieved in enhancing public safety and solving crimes with the help of CrimeEye, Chattanooga authorities have decided to expand their public video safety network. The City of Chattanooga and CPD plan to install more CrimeEye public safety cameras to further improve their community safety and relations.
About Total Recall Corporation — Total Recall Corporation, a Convergint Technologies Company, is a video-centric security technology provider specializing in citywide safety solutions, including command and control centers, wireless connectivity, and video network design and management.