Have you ever heard of Baltimore’s CitiWatch program? If not, you should pay attention. CitiWatch is only one of the most sophisticated municipal surveillance networks in the United States.
Launched in 2005 by former mayor Martin O’Malley, the program was then comprised of just 50 cameras. Almost 7 years later, and CitiWatch no integrates 538 cameras – monitored 24 hours a day, seven days a week by a specially-trained CCTV operator – across Baltimore into the Criminal Intelligence Watch Center located in the Baltimore Police Department. The program utilizes crime statistics to strategically place cameras in prime locations.
Not only are operators able to view live feeds from every camera, but footage from each is stored for up to 28 days. The video is recorded at a rate of 15-30 frames-per-second and all video evidence is burned offsite, per the city’s CCTV policy.
All current Baltimore City police investigations are cross-referenced with camera locations. This has proven to be a huge asset to officers, resulting in 1,282 camera-initiated or assisted arrests in Baltimore in 2010 and 1,080 in 2011.
Down the road, the city of Baltimore hopes to integrate Citiwatch with its Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) system and also utilize license plate recognition and gunshot detection technology to even further the capabilities of this already beneficial program.
Citiwatch and surveillance networks like it are the future of police work.
For any further questions on the CitiWatch program, simply contact ARK Systems at 1-800-995-0189 or click here today.
When you consider how crucial security can be, and when you think of all the options that you’re faced with today, one thing becomes clear. You need a contractor with experience. For assessment, design, installation, testing and service, ARK is the expert across the board.
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Sources:
Inside Baltimore’s CitiWatch Program