New surveillance program gives Dearborn police access to real-time videos
A new surveillance program will soon make its way to Dearborn, offering police access to real-time video from private businesses and residents.
In April, Dearborn City Council members unanimously approved a five-year contract worth $720,000 for police to use the FUSUS program, which gives police the ability to view the private camera feeds of businesses and residents.
"It's always good to have the best technology that we can have, and this is just another element to go along with our cameras that we have in our city that can open up a live feed for our patrolmen on the road," said Michael Sareini, president of the Dearborn City Council.
The city plans to use $133,000 from its drug forfeiture and federal justice funds to help pay for the system, along with money given by the University of Michigan-Dearborn.
In a statement, the university said, "We are one of several community partners collaborating with the City of Dearborn to share camera access for public safety incidents. We have learned over the years from numerous tragedies at institutions across the U.S., including here in Michigan, how important it is during critical incidents for agencies to be able to work together and share information in real time when a crisis arises."
Along with access to camera feeds from people and businesses who choose to sign up for the program, officers will also have the ability to hear live 911 feeds while in the field.
"Now, the police officer in the car can actually hear the 911 call come in as it's being phoned in. This reduces our response times, which is always important, and also, as important, getting the information directly from the caller so that there's no confusion," said Dearborn Police Chief Issa Shahin.
Officials say this will allow them to take full advantage of already existing city infrastructure to better fight and stop crime.
In a new statement, Shahin said, "The safety and security of our residents is the top priority of the Dearborn Police Department. This mission has directed our plans to integrate the FUSUS Real-Time Crime Center, which provides live video and information during an emergency to aid our officers in their response. This initiative utilizes already existing visual infrastructure previously installed by businesses, community organizations, and other groups for on-site security. The FUSUS system is not equipped for the integration of facial recognition technology."
City leaders say the exact date for the program's formal launch is still unclear, but it is expected to happen later this year.
