To combat persistent retail crime and deliver peace of mind to workers in the bustling North Leroy Street business district, the City of Fenton Police Department has deployed a new AI-powered video surveillance system with camera-sharing technology to accelerate response time during retail heists or other emergencies.
Deter, detect, and apprehend criminals
Fenton is a small city with 12,000 permanent residents, but Chief of Police Jeffery Cross estimates that 60,000 people pass through the town daily. Located off Highway US-23, it is a popular shopping and restaurant district for commuters and people from neighbouring cities.
Unfortunately, retail criminals also frequent the area. The new video surveillance system is designed to deter, detect, and apprehend retail criminals.
Live security camera footage
Through a partnership with RapidSOS, this technology gives Fenton’s 911 dispatch professionals immediate access
The new system, housed in a rugged, weatherproof cabinet and mounted on a telephone pole with two cameras, includes Eagle Eye 911 Camera Sharing technology. Through a partnership with RapidSOS, this technology gives Fenton’s 911 dispatch professionals immediate access to view live security camera footage during an emergency.
“With 911 Camera Sharing, the 911 operator can see the situation unfold and give law enforcement direct, quality information and immediate feedback about what happened and the direction the suspect is headed in,” Cross explained. “That enhances safety for first responders and our community.”
Smart Video Search
In addition, the security cameras have built-in AI-powered Eagle Eye Smart Video Search, which enables Fenton’s authorised law enforcement officials to quickly search security camera footage for vehicles, people, or objects of interest.
“With Smart Video Search you can search for a ‘person wearing a red shirt and black pants’ a ‘blue Honda truck’ or ‘person with a backpack’ and quickly find a shoplifting suspect or determine when a certain vehicle, person, or group of people entered a shopping centre parking lot, which can be critical information for law enforcement,” said Joe Bommarito of Elite Fire Safety, a division of Sciens Building Solutions. This Novi, Mich.-based security integrator is working on the project with the City of Fenton.
AI-powered video surveillance
“Fenton’s new system with 911 Camera Sharing and AI features such as Smart Video Search is like having a virtual patrol in the Fenton business district,” he added.
“Last month the National Retail Federation reported a 93% increase in the average number of shoplifting incidents per year in 2023 versus 2019 and a 90% increase in dollar loss,” said Dean Drako, CEO of Eagle Eye Networks. “AI-powered video surveillance can now be deployed in more areas than ever, offering communities new ways to contend with rising retail crime.”
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