Community members appreciate addition of public safety cameras

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — Managers at Chattanooga businesses in high crime areas say the addition of new Public Safety Cameras is needed.

Recently in front of the AutoZone on East 3rd Street, Dredrick Brown, the parts sales manager, says something violent happened.

“We had two cars drive by shooting at each other a couple weeks ago,” Brown said.

Now there is a Public Safety Camera across from the business. It is one of the 14 new cameras the Chattanooga Police Department installed, increasing the total amount to 29. Brown says he feels this would have been helpful with the recent incident.

“It probably would have deterred them and they probably would have caught them a little quicker,” Brown said.

Investigators use these cameras to solve crimes.

“We are talking about homicides, we are talking about where members of our community, children had been harmed and those cameras have brought us evidence that has led to the arrest and hopefully the successful prosecution of individuals that would inflict harm in our community,” said Chief David Roddy, with the Chattanooga Police Department.

A lot goes into deciding where they go.

“We could put a camera on a particular street corner and if it simply is not looking the right direction or it doesn’t look far enough down the street to address what those individuals who live and work and raise families in that area, then we’ve missed the mark. So we deliberately solicit input from the community where we are talking about placing the camera,” Chief Roddy said.

For the department, these cameras are worth it.

“So the use of the cameras and the leveraging of technology, which you see behind me, going towards reducing our homicide and our shooting numbers, I absolutely believe offsets any financial impact that this system has,” Chief Roddy said.

The new cameras are included in the CPD budget for fiscal year 2019 at $173,000. The monthly power and data is estimated to cost between $3,500 to $4,000 per month. Back at AutoZone, they are glad there will be a watchful eye in the area.

“I think it is a good idea. It adds a little safety to the neighborhood. It makes everybody accountable for their actions,” Brown said.

The video is kept for thirty days, unless it is needed for evidence.