When gunshots are fired through the city, the Baton Rouge Police Department will know.
BRPD will assume maintenance of the city’s ShotSpotter cameras, which locate fired gunshots, in March after being rewarded a maintenance contract.
The Baton Rouge Metro Council decided at its Feb. 22 meeting that BRPD will take over the cameras after MMR Communications’ contract ends. The company has operated the network since January 2010.
Discussion on who would take over the camera surveillance has been a question looming over Metro Council members for the past several weeks.
BRPD Public Information Officer Cpl. Tommy Stubbs said the cameras are monitored by officers within the districts and by detectives on handheld devices that are starting to be deployed.
“We plan on having more control of the system and making it more flexible and accessible through the use of handheld mobile technology,” Stubbs said.
The crime cameras have been utilized in the area since 2007, when city officials purchased the surveillance system. There are currently 122 cameras working in the city.
The city of New Orleans stopped financing a similar crime surveillance program in 2010.
Baton Rouge’s cameras are located in areas like Gardere, Mid City, downtown, Valley Park, Brookstown, Eden Park, the mall and others in the Baton Rouge infrastructure.
Stubbs said the network and operational costs will be about $75,000, and the same amount has been requested for an additional cost to replace old equipment. BRPD will handle all maintenance.
The system was expected to receive a public bid, but the city-parish cancelled the bid to award the contract to BRPD.
Biological sciences sophomore Colby Gray said the use of cameras can be beneficial for Baton Rouge.
“If they use camera surveillance for the right reasons, it can be helpful,” Gray said.
BJ Greenwood, animal science and technology senior, said there needs to be a cost-effective way to monitor areas of the city.
“It can be beneficial, but I have mixed feelings about it,” Greenwood said.
 
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Contact Lauren Duhon at [email protected]