Video surveillance can play an integral part of law enforcement’s ability to keep a community safe and civil. This was very evident during a recent site inspection of several surveillance cameras in well-populated areas of Hawai’i island where our law enforcers have a sizable task of keeping peace and order.
In just under the span of a mile, Banyan Networks witnessed highly effective community policing as our escort officers spoke to homeless individuals about loud music, singing, smoking, and loitering. Not only did these officers have patience and kindness with us (they escorted us for several hours in the blazing hot sun wearing bullet proof vests and their blues while we took our time collecting drone video footage and documentation), the officers had several conversations with homeless people, connecting an a genuine level and providing social guidance about acceptable behavior in public. Clearly the officers had experience dealing with individuals with mental health and social issues.
Towards the end of our site inspections, a separate patrol officer asked if we had seen a person with a certain description wearing a stolen outfit. We had not seen a person of that description, and continued flying our drone to measure height and document equipment condition and viability. Just as we completed our project, five more patrol officers drove up, found the suspect hiding in nearby bushes, pulled the individual out, and confiscated a plastic bag full of drugs and a bottle of liquor.
Incidents such as these can be quickly identified, dispatched, and resolved. Video surveillance can provide coverage over focused or wide problematic areas to help law enforcement keep a community safe.
