White Hall is hesitant to reveal all its SkyCop camera locations, but the city’s deputy mayor, Jeff May, is willing to say that all its main thoroughfares are covered.
Two years ago, the city strategically placed dozens of cameras around the city, and now, the additional cameras allow the city to greatly expand its surveillance coverage area.
Before stepping into the mayoral position in 2011, White Hall Mayor Noel Foster served as the city’s police chief for seven years, and May was a Bradley County sheriff’s office deputy and with the 10th District Drug Task Force.
The two take crime prevention seriously.
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According to FBI statistics, White Hall continues to be one of the 10 safest cities per capita in the U.S. and is also listed in Arkansas’ top 10.
“We continue to make public safety a priority and continue to look for ways to improve it,” Foster said.
Recently, May sat down to discuss the value of SkyCop’s integrated digital system, which relies on wireless communications and includes mobile surveillance such as cameras, license plate readers, video and remote storage.
“We had the opportunity to increase the number of our cameras and license plate readers,” May said.
The city leases its surveillance equipment from SkyCop, a nearly 20-year-old company based in Memphis.
The agreement includes system upgrades and the latest technology, May said.
“This isn’t about intruding on people’s personal space, but it’s about the safety of our citizens,” May said.
According to the city’s 2025 budget, it will cost the city about $60,000 to watch its streets with high-resolution cameras and license plate readers this year. At this point, May said all the city’s primary and other thoroughfares are covered.
Foster said that in November 2022, the city of White Hall purchased a mobile Commander 3400 Security Camera Trailer at auction for about $13,000.
Foster said that it would cost about $100,000 for a new model.
No tools are required for setup, and the trailer, with its 40-foot mount and two 365-degree view cameras, can be quickly moved from one location to another.
It can be left in place for as long as needed, Foster said.
May gave an example.
“It is used daily somewhere throughout the city, and for special events, and all high school football home games,” May said.
Like the SkyCop cameras, video can be live-streamed remotely, sent to a computer at the White Hall Police Department, or sent to an officer’s cell phone.
“The cameras are located high enough so we can get a good look at what’s going on, if necessary,” Foster said.
Like the other cameras, the Commander 3400’s visuals can possibly help police track suspects or obtain a suspect vehicle’s license plate number.
“These are strategically placed,” Foster said.
CATCHING THE CRIMINAL
May said that if a crime is committed, such as a property theft or mugging, and it’s caught on camera, law enforcement can often identify the person or individuals committing the crime. Or it can be released to the public, who are asked to help them identify the suspect. Later, the video may be used by the prosecution.
A plate reader or a License Plate Recognition (LPR) camera can capture a license plate number even if the vehicle is moving at a high rate of speed.
May said it also allows law enforcement to track a vehicle’s movement from area to area, as long as surveillance cameras are in play, without engaging a suspect in a high-speed chase.
For example, a suspect can be tracked from North Little Rock to White Hall with the use of cameras and without actual eyes on the person’s vehicle.
It gives law enforcement time to set up roadblocks or nab the suspect once the person exits the vehicle.
High-speed chases are dangerous to the driving public, the suspect and the police involved in the chase, May said.