By Stephanie Springer - bio | email
CORDELE, GA (WALB) - Police officers in Cordele are about to get a new weapon, dozens of cameras will be installed to fight crime. They may be watching you when you least expect it.
The Cordele Police Department recently got a grant to purchase 60 cameras they plan to put in high crime areas to help catch crooks and prevent crime.
16th Ave and 11th Street is one of the busiest intersections in town, and soon this spot will be watched carefully by police. "It's not a cure all but another tool in our tool box we've never had," said Dwayne Orrick, Public Safety Director.
Its one of 60 spots police will install wireless cameras, used for capturing criminal activity. "We worked with the drug task force and patrol unit to identify areas where we likely have drug activity, gang activity and armed robberies," said Orrick.
The cameras will also help provide evidence in traffic accidents capture people running from the scene, and other suspicious activity officers may otherwise miss.
The cameras are funded through a 424,000 grant from the Bureau of Justice Assistance Recovery Act. "It is a very expensive effort and we would not be able to do without the federal funding," said Orrick.
A little more than 200,000 will go towards the cameras, and the remaining money will go towards employees to view tapes and capture activities. "If something happens we will be able to play back and see if something has occurred there," said Orrick.
Public Safety Director Dwayne Orrick thinks the cameras will help cut down on crime in the area. "In some cases we may be able to catch intersections and stores that are more likely to be robbed," said Orrick.
They may even provide benefits officers are unaware of at the time. The department will start installing the cameras in two weeks.
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