The Prince George’s County Police Department is looking to expand its electronic surveillance system, with leaders pointing to reduced crime levels in areas where cameras and gunshot sensors have already been placed.
The county launched the SECURES Gunshot Detection System last fall in the Palmer Park area with seven cameras and 20 gunshot sensors, Chief Melvin High said in his midfiscal year report to the County Council. Between Oct. 31 and Dec. 31, the number of calls to police regarding gunshots from the area dropped dramatically from the same period in 2006 — a far greater drop than in adjacent areas that did not have the sensors and cameras.
SECURES is similar to ShotSpotter, the system used in the District of Columbia. Both systems use sonic sensors to alert police when shots are fired and can determine their exact location, sending it to police within five seconds, according to a National Institute of Justice study.
The cameras and sensors are placed in recognizable boxes atop utility poles, and the reduction in criminal activity in the area “strongly suggests a crime deterrent effect,” High said, adding that the system has shown positive results in other jurisdictions.
In the District, violent crime rose about 1 percent across the city last year, but violent crime fell 19 percent within 250 feet of the cameras, according to a report prepared by Police Chief Cathy Lanier and released earlier this month.
But District Councilman Phil Mendelson, head of the Committee on Public Safety and the Judiciary, has questioned whether the cameras and sensors simply disperse crime into uncovered areas and don’t actually reduce crime.
Metro police hope to add 50 cameras in the next two years, which along with other upgrades would cost about $4.5 million.
In Prince George’s County, High said he wanted to build on the pilot program’s crime-reducing effects. He told county councilors he’s seeking $975,000 to deploy 11 additional cameras and gunshot detection sensors in the Glass Manor and Kent Village areas.
More SECURES?
Number of gunshots reported in Palmer Park:
» Oct. 31-Dec. 31, 2006 – 14 calls
» Oct. 31-Dec. 31, 2007 – 4 calls
