Atlanta Police Unveil Powerful New Surveillance System

The first phase of a comprehensive new city surveillance system is now up and running, providing the Atlanta Police Department an important new weapon in its crime-fighting arsenal.

The APD’s Video Integration Center (VIC) is a key component of Operation Shield, an Atlanta Police Department and Atlanta Police Foundation partnership aimed at linking communications between the APD, private security forces, and other local law enforcement agencies.

Authorities say the system uses more than 100 cameras to watch for crime in public and private locations, mostly in downtown Atlanta. VIC uses state-of-the-art “smart” analytical software, which allows for close coordination with the city's E911 center for a timely response to criminal and suspicious activities on Atlanta streets. 

“Public safety has been a top priority for my administration, and the Video Integration Center is a vital investment towards a safer city,” Mayor Kasim Reed said at a news conference about the system this week. “We must continue to seek innovative ways to fight crime, and bringing together the public and private sectors allow us to share in the responsibility of keeping our street safe for residents, workers, tourists and visitors alike.”

The Operation Shield Video surveillance network also greatly enhances emergency preparedness by enabling police, fire, and emergency professionals to better assess, prepare, respond, and communicate before arriving on the scene of an incident. 

“As criminals get more sophisticated, so must law enforcement,” Atlanta Police Chief George Turner said. “This is an exciting opportunity for us to leverage cutting-edge technology, allowing us to stay one step ahead of lawbreakers. It will also help us be more prepared as our officers respond and react to any situation within view of the cameras.”

Currently, cameras owned by the City of Atlanta, Midtown Alliance, and other private partners are integrated into the new system. The eventual goal is to deploy a network involving several thousand cameras. The VIC, co-located in the city’s E911 Center in Downtown Atlanta, is currently staffed with two sergeants and six sworn officers.

The project has so far cost more than $1 million, and has been funded by private donations made through the Atlanta Police Foundation, as well as city money.  A specific eventual cost of the project is undetermined, but has been as high as hundreds of millions in other
cities.

The Atlanta project is unique as the project seeks to leverage existing camera infrastructure installed by private entities throughout the city.  The project will continue to grow as city and foundation officials work to bring in more public and private sector cameras to ensure a comprehensive and robust network.

“Building public and private partnerships is critical to the success of Operation Shield and the Video Integration Center,” Atlanta Police Foundation President and CEO Dave Wilkinson said. “We look forward to working closely with the APD to make sure this is a state-of-the-art facility with heavy involvement from our business partners.”