YPSILANTI, Mich., May 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- A pilot program, utilizing security cameras for public safety in Ypsilanti Township, has led to the arrest of a man accused of sexually assaulting several girls in recent weeks. But where did these cameras come from, and how exactly was this man caught?
In 2011, Ypsilanti Township and the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Department partnered with Camtronics Communication Co., a Michigan-based Security Company, to leverage innovative technologies and find new ways of protecting their residents. Answers came in the form of a high-end and cord-free camera system, called Cellular Witness, to be strategically placed throughout a troubled neighborhood in the heart of Ypsilanti Township.
The Cellular Witness System, installed and managed by Camtronics, functions as remote surveillance cameras to assist in official investigations. The cameras are self-contained and wireless, operate on motion detection, and transmit quality images through existing cellular services to off-site servers.
The program proved invaluable when one of these cameras captured an image of a man riding his bike through the neighborhood matching the description of an alleged sex offender. The image was then used to successfully identify the man as a violent and repeat offender, which led to his eventual arrest - after which the suspect was charged with 13 crimes.
"I believe the arrest of the suspect in this case is a prime example of why the cameras were put in place," says Lt. Jim Anuszkiewicz, of the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Department. "Law enforcement continues to see alternative solutions to fighting crime through technology and this is one example of it."
With the growing success of the Ypsilanti Township pilot program, Camtronics is looking to expand its Cellular Witness Program by partnering with other local community and business leaders. For more information on Camtronics and the Cellular Witness Camera System, please contact Mark Wellman, president and owner of Camtronics, at 313-538-1780, or email [email protected]
