INDIANAPOLIS — Mayor Joe Hogsett, IMPD Assistant Chief Chris Bailey and Commander Matthew Thomas recently highlighted recent additions to IMPD’s crime fighting technology. This includes a fleet of seven public safety camera trailers that residents can expect to see throughout the city.
The mobile trailers can be placed quickly throughout the city in locations that are not possible with permanent installations. They are equipped with both a generator and solar panels for power, and can operate completely free of hardwired internet or landline power needs. The trailers are portable and transported via a vehicle at the direction of the Incident Analysis Center (IAC).
The devices stream video in real-time back to the IAC. The IAC is staffed with detectives and analysts during specific hours of events and crime prevention operations. IMPD hopes to increase the team of analysts over the next year to provide 24/7 staffing. Once the video is streamed to the IAC, it is then retained for 30 days, unless there is a specific investigative reason to keep it longer.
IMPD is using a layered approach in the deployment of the trailers and other technology. Safety cameras, B-link cameras, camera trailers, license plate readers, and body-worn cameras are intended to work together and complement each other. By using this multi-faceted approach, IMPD is able to recover multiple pieces of evidence to help generate leads, solve cases, and hold violent offenders accountable for their actions in our community.
IMPD previously had one mobile trailer camera in its fleet and recently was able to purchase six additional ones through various grants. The funding comes from grants including Project Safe Neighborhoods, Smart Policing Initiative, and the American Rescue Plan Act. Each camera costs nearly $74,000. IMPD plans to purchase four more trailers within a year.
