Oklahoma: More Homeland Security Funded Surveillance Cameras

McAlester News Capital | June 3 2005

City officials in McAlester have identified several sites in the first phase of a plan to use cameras to protect vital infrastructure in the city.

Plans, now under way, are being funded by an approximately $206,000 grant. It was awarded to the McAlester Fire Department from homeland security funds. McAlester's fire department has been awarded more than $700,000 in the last three years, according to Assistant Fire Chief Harold Stewart.

He said the goal of placing cameras at various locations will be for the protection of "the city's critical infrastructure."

Several sites for cameras have already been selected and more are expected, Stewart said. Images from the cameras will be sent to monitors located at th. police department using the broadband technology the city already has in place. Not all the cameras will be watched all the time, Police Chief Jim Lyles said. The police department doesn't have enough staff to do that. And the chief said there is no attempt by law enforcement to create a "Big Brother situation."

"It's more public safety than anything," Lyles said, adding it will give law enforcement "another set of eyes." A multiple screen monitoring system is already in place at the police department.

Stewart said one of the cameras will monitor the main AEP/PSO electrical system in the city.

Another location police cameras will monitor is along the railroad system that runs through the city. "We can monitor the rail traffic coming through our town, north and south," Stewart said

A camera will also be able to monitor the Wal-Mart parking lot and surrounding area, inclduing a view to the north and south on George Nigh Expressway.

A police camera will send back images from the McAlester Regional Airport so the law enforcement officials can watch planes fueling and taking off. The police department's detectives division is located at the airport.

Stewart said a camera will monitor McAlester High School, including the parking lot.

"We're protecting our critical infrastructures," the assistant chief said.