The Wichita Police Department’s new Old Town surveillance system is up and running.
The city has installed about a dozen cameras throughout Wichita’s Old Town neighborhood. In total, about 70 cameras will be placed throughout the district as a way to monitor crime.
The new 10-screen monitoring and command center in City Hall was unveiled on Thursday.
“It’s not only a security tool, it’s also an economic development tool," said Police Chief Gordon Ramsay in a press briefing. "We know that there are some previous studies that there is concerns about safety at nighttime, and these are gonna help us address those concerns.”
Installation and maintenance for the first two years will cost the city about $750,000. Ramsay says his department hopes to expand the use of surveillance cameras to other areas of the city.
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