HOUSTON, BUSINESS WIRE -- As a provider of sophisticated, IP convergence solutions, Security Financing Services (SCYF) continues to expand its business in the southeastern United States. Mike Hardy, President of SCYF announced today that the Housing Authority, of the City of Bessemer, Alabama, will increase its Four Hundred Thousand Dollar digital surveillance network contract with SCYF to include remote monitoring of BHA's networked video surveillance systems.
This agreement increases the number of housing residences served by SCYF remote video surveillance systems to more than 1,400 added in the last two months, a remarkable 700% increase over the total at the end of last year. These SCYF-designed digital camera surveillance networks have the ability to send audio instructions to those being viewed; video images can be sent to laptops or PDAs with this technology. The City of Chicago recently announced that it is using money seized from drug dealers to create similar CCTV surveillance networks. In the first seven months after installing cameras in Chicago, as reported in the Chicago Tribune, officials say calls to police from the immediate areas declined 76 percent, and serious crimes dropped by 17 percent. Arrests on the police beats covered by cameras rose by 60 percent.
SCYF designed and installed the first video surveillance network cameras for BHA in 2004. The network has been instrumental in reducing crime and promoting a safe and secure environment for tenants. "The Atlanta Housing Authority management, which has over 1,800 housing units under management, values the peace of mind our video monitoring systems provides to their residents, who deserve to live a pleasant, trouble free, residential experience that is relished by Bessemer residents. These installations consistently work to reduce crime and loitering in those areas where cameras are installed," Hardy said.
After the successful capture of a homicide suspect made possible by video recorded by the SCYF-installed network, Bessemer decided to expand the network to include two new properties. Security Financing Services recently completed the latest expansion to BHA's video surveillance network which included upgrades to an existing facility, together with installation of more than 50 new cameras, networking two additional BHA properties.
Dannie Walker, General Operations Manager for Bessemer, stated, "These security upgrades have given us video for use in the recent investigations of one homicide and one burglary." The multiyear agreement with the Housing Authority provides for both scheduled and random hourly "camera-guard tours" to help improve the living environment of the residents.
