Located between Atlanta and Birmingham along I-20, Oxford, Alabama is a town whose law enforcement agencies hold responsibility for policing a population of 22,000 along with an additional 30,000 individuals driving through the area on a major interstate each day. To reduce crime throughout the surrounding region, the city of Oxford allocated four million dollars to construct a centralized facility for use by the local police department and neighboring agencies. At the heart of the new East Metro Area Crime Center (EMACC) is an advanced video wall system designed and installed by Haivision that allows for real-time observation and situational awareness throughout the city and adjacent areas.
Previously, the Oxford Police Department fought crime through traditional police work by bringing together investigative and patrol divisions to address issues after they occurred. The city aimed to create a command center to help increase response times and officer safety. At the heart of this center, law enforcement could monitor hundreds of IP cameras to proactively react the moment an incident took place by providing officers with critical and tactical information.
To meet this need, Haivision installed a 5×3 55” video wall within the command center of the EMACC. Powered and controlled by an Alpha FX Core video wall processor and CineNet software the video wall can be customized to the requirements of the Oxford Police Department as needed. Quick access to the department’s cameras throughout the city will allow the EMACC to assist the Oxford Police Department in addressing potential theft and crime through all retail avenues by providing heightened levels of intelligence and visibility. The ability to quickly monitor the city’s many IP cameras helps safeguard the regional financial institutions. If, for example, an alarm at a local bank should go off, Chief of Police, Bill Partridge, noted, “We can pull those cameras in immediately and be able to give real-time intel to the officers who are responding to that location. Which is huge for officer safety.” One recent bank robbery was solved within 30 minutes of the crime taking place thanks to the shared intelligence made available through the video wall at the Crime Center.
In addition to the facility’s key role in fighting crime, the EMACC will also serve as a centralized hub during emergencies such as natural disasters. In such an event, the EMACC will become an Emergency Operations Center where officials can gain a complete view of the affected areas to better deploy city resources and assets as needed. Twenty-three additional state and federal agencies plan to utilize the tools and assets now available through the EMACC.
When asked about the type of experience it was to work with Haivision, the Oxford Police Department responded with just one word: “Flawless.” The feeling is undoubtedly mutual as Haivision is proud to have collaborated with the City of Oxford by providing a turn-key solution that combined state of the art law enforcement practices with cutting edge technology.