Gary installs cameras to deter crime

Associated Press

GARY – Gary officials hope a new surveillance system, which will include at least a dozen cameras installed around the city, can help deter crime and catch criminals.

The cameras are on poles in boxes marked with red and blue flashing lights and the same insignia used to mark squad cars. The cameras can monitor and record activity for up to 1.5 miles away.

Mayor Scott King said Friday that the presence of the box is intended to put would-be criminals on notice that there’s law enforcement in the area.

“These cameras are designed to be incredibly visible so they will not only act as a detector for evidence collection but as a crime deterrent,” King said.

Police officers with laptops can monitor the cameras and watch what they are recording as it occurs.