VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — High above Atlantic Avenue and the boardwalk, from Rudee Loop to 31st Street, new cameras are helping officers keep the peace in one of the busiest areas of the city.
Mission control is located inside the Second Precinct, where two retired police officers keep their eyes on several large monitors displaying high-definition video from 25 cameras in real-time.
“We get better detail and make out more finite details than we ever were before,” said Lt. William Zelms, of the better zoom capability.
Zelms is leading the three-phase effort to install 88 cameras along the Oceanfront. The department still needs to secure funding for the second and third phases.
The city council first allocated $2.6 million to Phase 1 in 2014. Police Chief Jim Cervera told the city council in September they had problems with an electrical consultant who underestimated some of the needs for the project. Cervera told the council another $800,000 was needed to complete Phase 1.
The 25th camera was installed Friday, according to Zelms.
While the $3.4 million project is nearly two years behind schedule, Zelms says there has been cameras at the Oceanfront since the 1990s.
The new cameras have more advanced technology including the ability to tilt, pan, zoom and spin 360-degrees.
“This affords the ability to watch over and protect our citizens and visitors where we might not of otherwise had the ability to do before,” he said.
Zelms says the command center will be staffed during busy times and special events including the upcoming College Beach Weekend the last weekend of April.
At last year’s event, police arrested nearly 200 people and say five people got hurt in a shooting and stabbing.
Zelms says the improved camera system allows them stop crimes before they escalate and to solve crimes faster when they do happen.
“Our camera operators can act as a form of back up to monitor the situation,” he said. “It certainly doesn’t replace good police work, but it will hopefully save some time.”