CCTV Puts Crime On The Run In Newburgh, N.Y.

Jul 1, 2003 12:00 PM

Not too long ago the streets outside the Lander Street Apartments in Newburgh, N.Y., were infested with crime. Today, a CCTV surveillance system has made those streets safe again. The journey to completion of the project, however, involved a unique partnership between private companies, state and federal departments, local utilities and the Newburgh police.

Although Newburgh police had increased patrols in the area to help alleviate crime, it was evident that the complex needed around-the-clock surveillance. Due to budgetary constraints, no financial assistance was available from the city. Undeterred, officials at Rural Opportunities Inc. (ROI), the owner/operator of the apartments, tapped into federal and state programs for the funding. Private donors were also approached with an appeal to their civic pride. Within a few months, the funds were raised to provide a privately built and maintained surveillance system.

“ROI wanted to provide a system to help residents feel safe, and to make sure their property is protected,” says Charles Romaine, owner of CDR Electronics, chosen by ROI to design the system.

The Lander Street Apartments complex covers a six-block area in Newburgh, a city of 28,259 in southeast New York. Over the years the area had become a center for drug sales, prostitution and acts of violence. “Typically, these types of crimes in the inner city go without prosecution due to a lack of evidence and the unwillingness of the neighborhood to provide names of the offenders for fear of repercussions,” Romaine says.

With the high crime rate and abundance of guns in the neighborhood, ROI knew bullet-resistant dome cameras would be needed. In addition, the company wanted a camera and DVR that could to expand with the growth of the system, provide local camera control, and could be controlled remotely via the Internet.

The installation would also require a camera capable of operation in low-light situations. ROI selected six DeputyDome camera units from Videolarm, Decatur, Ga., and a Sprite II DVR from Chantilly, Va.-based Dedicated Micros.

“Preparation for the installation was 75 percent of the job,” Romaine says. “After our site survey and selection of the [technology], most of the preparation involved convincing the local governmental bodies of the viability of the system.” As a privately established surveillance system, the installation was unique. The city manager was open to the idea of a no-cost-to-the-city video surveillance system, but only if questions concerning legal liability were addressed by the Corporation Council. ROI had to involve the local power utility, because the plan called for the cameras to be placed on their power distribution system poles. “That was the toughest sell we had,” says Romaine. “Our reputation helped in convincing the police department that a privately owned CCTV system would be their window on the neighborhood.”

Rapid Response

Although a privately held surveillance system seemed like a radical idea at first, the Newburgh Police Department soon embraced its functionality, and the new system has helped them respond to emergencies more efficiently. Prior to the installation, a call to the Lander Street area would often see six or seven patrol cars responding. With the new system, a dispatcher can judge the size of the disturbance and send assistance accordingly. On site, the police department relies on local Block Watch personnel manning a viewing station which consists of the DVR with a keyboard and two 15-inch flat screen LCD monitors. But the police department is also viewing the images in real-time over a business-grade DSL line, and the dispatcher can control the camera for positive identification. Video can then be delivered to a squad car, again in real-time, over a network consisting of a LAN-to-Internet-to-Nyspan transmission with display on a laptop computer.

With typical street lighting (a 400-watt pressure sodium light about every 250 feet), the camera provides color video after dark. The Sprite II enables the department to remotely control all cameras and store images for future reference. In the first several days of operation, the police used images from the system to provide the Newburgh District Attorney with evidence of three crimes, including a hit-and-run of an 81-year-old man, the identity of an armed robbery suspect and the identity of a knifing suspect.

In addition, the system has helped identify participants in numerous drug sales and gang-related fights. The overall crime rate in the neighborhood has dropped substantially, prompting other organizations in Newburgh to investigate using the same type of system to assist in fighting crime. Funding has already been allotted for additional cameras by year-end.

About The Companies

For information, circle the Reader Service number (listed below) or visit securitysolutions.com

CDR Electronics Co. Inc.	57
Dedicated Micros	58
Videolarm	59

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