Eyes over Tupelo: A look inside cop cam command center
14 cameras are placed throughout the city to deter and fight crime
TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – Whether it is North Gloster and West Jackson, Carnation Street by the Salvation Army, or Tupelo’s busiest intersection, Tupelo police have extra eyes on the scene. Over the past few weeks, 14 Active Solutions Safe City Cameras have been installed at strategic locations throughout the city.
“They don’t read tags or anything like that, it gives us footage at certain intersections in town, depending on population density, crime statistics, traffic, what helped us decide where to put them,” said Captain Doug Mansell.
Mansell is the compliance technology captain with the Tupelo Police Department. He showed us how the cameras can be monitored, in real time, at the incident command center, providing critical information to responding officers. Each box has four cameras that record 24/7, which can also help in follow-up investigations.
“If a crime were to occur and is reported later, our investigators can go and look at the footage and see what happened,” he said.
The city isn’t out any money for the cameras. They were paid for through two grants. The cameras are also available to E911 dispatchers.
The Real-Time Incident Command Center can also monitor surveillance cameras, officer’s body cameras, and cameras in patrol cars.
