After approval to run a 30-day test period with a SkyCop Security Camera back in May, Greenville Police Chief Delando Wilson said they have still yet to determine a viable location for the project.
Systems Technology Inc. made a presentation of its SkyCop Security Cameras product to the council, at the recommendation of the public safety committee, back in May, in which the council approved testing out such technology aimed at deterring and preventing crime.
According to the council’s May 21 minutes, “SkyCop’s camera system identifies disturbances, helps track perpetrators and identifies crime hot spots efficiently so law enforcement can intervene. Its audio and video surveillance systems are able to employ superior technology for gun shot identification, thermal imaging and license plate recognition.”
The price per camera typically costs approximately $6,000 with a lease-to-own option.
At Tuesday’s Greenville City Council meeting, Police Chief Delando Wilson said after a recent conference call with Entergy’s customer service manager Gerald Husband and a SkyCop representative, “The last thing we were trying to work out was the location.”
Wilson said the initial location for the SkyCop, which has not been disclosed, was “too crowded” based on what Entergy had determined — the pole that would have been used for installation had too many utility outlet areas and would not provide a secondary power source, which is needed for the system to function properly.
Wilson said he then decided to survey a different location that could potentially be harnessed by the SkyCop system and said that the logistics of mounting the demo camera are being figured out among Entergy and Systems Technology, Inc.
The ideal location would be a utility pole already equipped with a light and in somewhat of a “high crime” area.
At Tuesday’s meeting, Councilman Al Brock said he was curious to know how Wilson felt about the value of the SkyCop camera trial and how he plans to move forward after the trial period is complete.
Wilson said he is quite optimistic about the location and the results of the trial.
“That’s why I’m really interested in getting this done because I want to see how effective it would be for us,” Wilson explained to the council. “This is something we can really use if it will help fight crime and solve investigations.”
A timeline for starting the SkyCop’s test trial period has not been determined.
