Video Surveillance Expanded At Police Station

By Andrew Gorosko

Police have completed the installation of a new set of computerized video cameras both inside and outside the police station, expanding their surveillance capabilities in an effort to create a more secure environment at the 3 Main Street facility.

Police Captain Joe Rios this week explained that a recent $20,000 upgrade of video surveillance equipment at the police station — both indoors and outdoors — provides 20 to 25 camera positions from which police can observe activity.

The modern equipment provides color video signals to a control panel inside the town’s emergency communications center on the upper level of the 3 Main Street building. The building, known as Town Hall South, houses the police station on the upper level, as well as some town offices on the lower level.

Some of the cameras are able to pan, to tilt, and to zoom, providing videographic flexibility in their operation, the captain said.

The system’s control center video display allows police to monitor multiple views on a single computer monitor. The live views are recorded to a computer hard drive to provide a visual record that may serve as evidence, if needed. 

Prisoner holding cells at the police station are electronically monitored both visually and sonically to keep tabs on people being held there before their arraignments in Danbury Superior Court, Capt Rios said. The small Spartan cells are designed to temporarily hold prisoners who have not posted bail before their initial court appearances.

Through the use of surveillance gear, police are able document what occurred while prisoners were being held within the police station, Captain Rios said. 

Having video surveillance equipment in use at the police station allows police to maintain a secure environment and be aware of people’s movements within and near the police station, he said.

While the camera mounts outside the building are large, globular obvious devices, the camera mounts indoors are less obvious. Inconspicuous small, black ceiling-mounted hemispheres enclose the indoor cameras.

“The technology has come a long way,” Capt Rios said. The upgraded surveillance system has many features, he said. The captain declined to be specific, citing security reasons.

It is necessary to monitor what occurs outside the police station because incidents occasionally occur in the building’s parking lots, he said. The external cameras have low-light capabilities, allowing nighttime surveillance.