HAZLETON, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — They are the latest hi-tech camera systems being used by police departments around the country to help solve and prevent crime.
A local community says they have been so successful that their system will undergo a major upgrade.
We will take a closer look at the Flock camera system now in use in Hazleton.
They are described as "game changers" by law enforcement.
Law enforcement describes a hi-tech camera system as a Game-changer in their efforts to fight and even deter crime.
A Luzerne County community is launching a significant upgrade to its system, which they say will help keep the community safe.
It is called the flock camera system. It is used by police departments across the nation.
The city of Hazleton has led the way with that system in northeastern Pennsylvania, and the police chief says, in his words, the bad guys know it.
They are the sounds of gunshots recorded by the flock camera system last March at a shooting in Hazleton.
It helped pinpoint the location of the shooting and helped lead to the arrest of two suspects.
Hazleton has 60 flock cameras located throughout the city. The system records video and sound. It can track license plate numbers. If a license plate comes up as "Wanted" for whatever reason, police officers receive instant alerts to their cruisers or on their cell phones.
The city is adding more cameras, complete with AI technology, to its system.
"You'll actually be able to say I want to search for a human being walking and wearing a blue jacket with the Texas star flag on it, and it will search all the cameras throughout the city and find you that image," stated Chief Brian Schoonmaker, Hazleton City Police Department.
The upgrade will add a so-called' eye in the sky'.
"It's also going to be adding a first responder drone. It can actually be dispatched through the county to our accident scene, or to a fire scene as well. If gunshots go off, it will automatically dispatch to that location, start feeding live feeds to the officers, if necessary, to make sure they wouldn't be ambushed or anything of that sort," explained Chief Schoonmaker.
Mayor Jeff Cusat says the system has paid big time safety dividends for city residents.
"The flock cameras have been incredible for the last four years. We were one of the first cities in the country to invest in such a system, and it's helped the city dramatically," expressed Mayor Jeff Cusat, (R), Hazleton.
Questions of privacy have been raised by many people across the nation: is it a case of big brother watching you?
Pharmacy owner John Keegan doesn't think so.
"Really? This is what's giving you away more than any camera system, so I don't see a problem with it. To me, that's not the old saying; the perpetrator is the one who has a problem. The innocent people have at it," joked Keegan
The system will cost $4 million over the next ten years, which will include the upgrades.
The mayor and city council say, in the long run, it will not cost taxpayers any additional money in relation to the current contract.
