IMPD adds cameras around city in latest efforts to curb violent crime
The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department and Mayor Joe Hogsett highlighted the recent addition of seven mobile camera trailers to the department's video surveillance.
The cameras, which cost $74,000 each, can be placed quickly throughout the city in locations where permanent camera installation is not possible. The video is streamed real-time to the Incident Analysis Center (IAC) where analysts and detectives can view the footage and dispatch officers to the location as needed.
The cameras are intended to aid IMPD in cases of violent crime, said Assistant Chief Chris Bailey.
"We're not trying to catch the guy on the corner smoking weed," he said.
The trailers are currently being used in Broad Ripple, Mass Avenue, South Meridian entertainment areas and the Central Canal. The police department said trailers do not have a set location and can move quickly from place to place as needed.
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Once parked, an adjustable mast that can reach up to 36 feet is raised. The mast holds five cameras that film 24/7. The footage is saved for 30 days and used to recover evidence and generate leads in cases, Bailey said. The trailers are mainly powered by solar panels and generators, working up to 30 days without needing to refuel.
IMPD is working toward creating a team of analysts to provide 24/7 staffing. Currently, analysts work during the day with overtime hours in peak times when entertainment zones are active.
"These cameras allow more police departments to stay adaptable to where and when violence occurs," Bailey said.
During Memorial Day weekend, when the first trailer was deployed, the camera caught a fight breakout and officers were able to respond to the location and break it up, Cmdr. Matthew Thomas said. The group immediately dispersed and no one was arrested and no shots were fired, he said. Though police can't be certain of what they prevented, they deescalated the situation, Thomas said.
The trailers are meant to be used with other technology, including already-existing surveillance cameras, license plate readers and body cameras to "hold violent offenders accountable for their actions in our community," according to an IMPD news release.
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The mobile camera trailers were funded by various grants, including Project Safe Neighborhoods, Smart Policing Initiative and the American Rescue Plan Act. IMPD plans to purchase four more within the year.
Hogsett's announced a plan in fall 2021 to reduce violence in "high crime areas." The plan invested $33 million in IMPD, with $9 million in modern policing technology, and was funded with $150 million in American Rescue Plan funds.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indianapolis police dispatch cameras to combat violent crime
