Crime Fighting Initiative Celebrates One-Year Anniversary

Allentown, PA – October 21, 2008 – October marks the one-year anniversary of the inaugural deployment of cameras of the city wide surveillance network project in the City of Allentown as part of an aggressive crime-fighting initiative.  

In 2007, the City of Allentown awarded the project to CSI, located on Third Street in center city Allentown, and partnered with them to design, engineer and install the highly sophisticated technological solution to reduce the city’s crime. According to Captain Dan Warg of the Allentown Police Department, “In comparison to other cities across the nation that I have seen deploy similar systems, CSI is certainly providing a better design, a more efficient deployment and overall value.”  The system, which is comprised of multiple cameras installed throughout the city, transmitting video wirelessly while being monitored controlled and recorded from a central location, enables the quick response of law enforcement officers and video content that can be used in the courts for the conviction of crimes.

In conjunction with other aspects of the overall crime reduction strategy, which includes the deployment of the surveillance cameras, according the Mayor Ed Pawlowski, Allentown has seen an apparent 25% drop in crime from 2007 to 2008. This dramatic decrease of criminal offences over the course of a single year demonstrates that the City’s assertive crime reduction strategy has been a success, owed in part to the surveillance network. Several arrests have been made with evidence obtained from the use of the cameras and undoubtedly many criminals have been deterred from nefarious acts due to the flashing blue reminders. Other regions across the state have taken similar initiatives; however, Allentown has installed more cameras in the first year than any other deployment of its kind in Pennsylvania.

The interoperability of the system design allowed several businesses and educational institutions to see the benefits of the city-wide surveillance project. Partnering with the City, they have funded the deployment of cameras on their properties that connect to the network.

U.S. Senator Arlen Specter praised the effectiveness of the City’s surveillance system by recently obtaining an additional $400,000 of funding for the project. "The results of these cameras are very important for deterring crime and catching criminals," Specter said.

Today, the City of Allentown receives live streaming video from 56 Sony cameras in two command center locations, utilizing OnSSI video surveillance software. The cameras provide full pan, tilt and zoom functionality from both monitoring stations, which can be controlled by operators. Future plans call for an additional 49 cameras, which brings the grand total to 105 cameras. An eventuality of the system will allow for the footage to be sent out wirelessly over the network to police vehicles in real time to allow officers near a crime scene to view the incident while en route.