Published Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Newnan OKs $184,000 to buy camera system
The Newnan Times-Herald
The Newnan City Council agreed Tuesday to fund a high visibility crime suppression camera system for the Newnan Police Department at a cost of nearly $184,000.
The request to replace and upgrade the camera system was sent out in November and the city received three bids that were all over budget. The police department worked with the low bidder -- Wind Channel Communications -- to reconfigure the program and bring the cost down closer to budget, according to Newnan Police Chief Douglas L. "Buster" Meadows.
The project -- which would cost a total of $183,982 -- will be funded by a $75,430 Justice Assistance Grant, with the balance coming from drug condemnation funds.
The current system consists of 20 cameras, but the new system would give the department the capability of adding up to 60 camera sites within the city of Newnan over time as money allows, according to Meadows.
Meadows said the department has installed cameras in high crime areas where drugs are frequently sold and in high volume intersections. The cameras have the capability of filming in real time and archiving information for 14 days. Officers can review the data and archive video to a CD permanently. Police have upgraded the capabilities of the cameras at entrance ramps to the interstate so they will be able to capture tag numbers.
The cameras are also a matter of officer safety, according to Meadows. Officers responding to the scene of a crime will now be able to upload the images from a nearby camera directly to their in-car computer.
"This will be real helpful because responding officers can get an idea of what's happening before they arrive at the scene," said Meadows.
Software updates will automatically upload to an officer's in-car computer and in-car camera because the system runs off a radio frequency.
Wind Channel Communications is expected to meet with Meadows in early April to plan implementation. Meadows anticipates that some, if not all, of the cameras will be up and running by summer.
