New mobile security camera trailer puts eye on crime
Feeling a little watched, like Big Brother has another eye on you?
White Hall residents and business owners shouldn’t worry unless involved in criminal activities, the city says.
In November, the city of White Hall purchased a mobile Commander 3400 Security Camera Trailer at auction for about $13,000 and the system is already in use, said White Hall Mayor Noel Foster.
New, it costs more than $100,000, he said.
There are no tools required for set up or needed when the trailer, with its 40-foot mount and two 365-degree view cameras, is moved from one location to another.
This can be done quickly, and left in place for as long as needed, Foster said.
The full system station includes constant digital surveillance that can be live-streamed remotely or sent to a computer at the White Hall Police Department or to an officer’s cell phone.
“The cameras are located high enough so we can get a good look at what’s going on, if necessary,” Foster said.
In addition to about 60-plus public surveillance cameras, the Commander 3400 visuals can possibly help when police are tracking suspects or obtaining a suspect vehicle’s license plate number.
“These are strategically placed,” Foster said.
Prior to stepping into the mayoral position in 2011, Foster served as the White Hall police chief for seven years and he takes crime prevention seriously.
Mickey Buffkin, WHPD major of operations, said, Fosters’ law enforcement past experience greatly helps his department when it comes to prevention.
“It’s a real plus for the city,” Buffkin said.
White Hall is listed as one of the top 10 safest cities per capita in the U.S, as well as listed in Arkansas’s top 10, based on FBI stats, Buffkin said.
They want to keep it that way, and the Commander 3400 fits into the city’s crime prevention plan, Buffkin said.
“We can move it to where we worry there might be a problem, especially during the holiday season, which starts about Thanksgiving,” Buffkin said.
There’s not been a recent uptick in criminal activities, but Buffkin said, when stores are crowded with shoppers, incidents of shoplifting often increase.
Foster said, “We continue to make public safety a priority and continue to look for ways to improve it.”
WHY LEASE?
In December 2020, the city leased five SkyCops, similar to the Commander 3400, at a cost of $1,500 monthly. In a sense, the purchase quickly pays for itself.
“We wanted to get it setup in time for the Christmas season and we plan to place it at various locations throughout the city over the coming weeks. It will be strategically placed at White Hall businesses,” Foster said.
City Council Member Ken Smith, Finance Committee chairman, said, These systems “have already been effective in solving crimes and the deterrent is not measurable.”