Beaumont police eyeing camera system to address crime

Beaumont Enterprise
Written By Matt Hollinshead
May 28, 2023

Beaumont police hopes a camera system across parts of the city will help officers do their jobs in a safe, more-effective manner and help bridge relationships with residents.

The department, as well as other agencies like Beaumont ISD police; Lamar University police; and Port of Beaumont police, is looking to use a real-time public safety intelligence system called Fusus to tackle crime.

“I'm truly proud of our Beaumont Police Department to go have a proactive approach to have more eyes on our community, with the crime rates that we currently have in Beaumont,” said At-Large Council member A.J. Turner.

The program would cost about $275,000 annually, a bill that would be spread across the multiple agencies if approved. Beaumont Police Chief James Singletary, who hopes to talk with the city further about the cost later this year, told the Enterprise that the police department’s applying for a grant that would cover part of the cost. Exactly how much it could cover is still unclear, according to Singletary.

The platform is a real-time crime center, where surveillance video would be integrated into the department’s 9-1-1 dispatch center and could be sent straight to officers. Fusus's technology would allow the city to link with cameras that already exist around the city, such as at a business or school.

“The cameras will interface with our command center,” Singletary told the Enterprise, adding that the department looks to educate the public about the technology in any way it can – whether via social media or at business presentations. “The more we educate the public on this operation, the better it’s going to be for them.”

The technology would utilize surveillance footage from private cameras installed by businesses or residents, with their permission, in the event a crime occurs.

The department would then use that footage to track down suspects, even providing details seen in surveillance footage to officers as they're heading to a scene.

“So many times, we pass the bad guys when responding to the scene. It’s a win-win for Beaumont right now. This is the future. It works… It’s amazing what the project’s going to do for Beaumont,” he said.

A real-time facility where the technology would be used is currently in the works, according to Singletary.

“(Officers) won’t be going out to a scene that’s blind. From an officer safety aspect, that’s huge,” he said.

James McLaughlin, Jr., executive director of the Texas Police Chiefs Association, told the Enterprise that his department doesn't use this type of surveillance technology, but he sees where it could be helpful in not only deterring crime, but also solving it.

“The officer would not have to spend time trying find something in an apartment complex or business complex. They could be directed to exactly where they need to be much quicker. That would be one benefit, I think,” he said. “It's a whole lot easier if you know exactly where an apartment is, where a business is, where there's a back door, front door, side door, or even a roof.”

Singletary said Beaumont police wants to implement the program in part to make it easier for residents to get in touch with the department.

“They realize they're not only helping law enforcement, they're helping themselves. The quicker we can respond to a crime, the better chance that we'll get the bad guy. When we get the bad guy quickly, that helps the citizens,” he said.

Police would not be involved in the set up of cameras, instead individuals or businesses would opt-in their existing camera setup into the Fusus system. Officers could then determine if they wanted to use the footage.

“We're not interested in spying on anybody,” Singletary said. “We just want the citizens to know that if they have some video cameras and they'd like to let us view those cameras and monitor those cameras, we would appreciate it. We're not going to go out there and tell people where to point these cameras.”

Turner told the Enterprise that his own privacy concerns were eased when Beaumont police made clear residents' camera systems would only be tapped if they choose to opt into the program.

“(Residents) can separate cameras. They can only opt in maybe their front yard camera. It doesn't necessarily have to be the cameras in the house,” he said.

Singletary told the Enterprise the technology also would feature stopgaps to prevent abuse.

Although Singletary declined to discuss what those stopgaps might be, he said those providing the video have complete control which clip or clips they'd share with police and that unauthorized viewers will not be able to get in.

“Everybody's concerned about what big brother is going to do... And a lot of times, they're concerned that we will monitor things that we're not cleared to monitor, and that's not going to happen,” Singletary said.

Fusus also has a panic alert mobile app that allows a user to connect to the real-time crime center, which can pick up on that location and cameras that may be in that area.

This technology would also allow surveillance in places like public sidewalks or streets, and it’d allow people to communicate with a Fusus operator over the phone.