GASTONIA, N.C. — The Gastonia Police Department is looking to expand its surveillance capabilities with more cameras across the city. The plan is set to be discussed during an upcoming city council meeting.
The agency tells WCNC Charlotte that having these cameras and advanced technology throughout the city will not only help solve crimes, but also prevent them from happening. This proposal also aligns with the department’s efforts to build its real-time crime center.
Neighbors said the cameras are tools worth investing in.
“I need the cameras out there because they keep you safer,” said Renee Davidson.
The new technology is likened to having an extra eye in the sky to support law enforcement as police cannot be at all places at once to prevent crime. Neighbors like Davidson said crime is on the rise in the area.
“It used to not be too bad, but it’s gotten worse,” she said.
“Over the years it’s gotten really bad,” said Allen Haney. “I’m hearing of more car break-ins, just theft in general.”
The city of Gastonia already has 21 Flock cameras equipped with plate readers. which capture images of license plates.
Later in the evening on Tuesday, city leaders will decide on a proposal to approve the purchase of 22 cameras for the police department. These newer video cameras will have the ability to zoom, record, and better follow suspected criminal activity.
“If the cameras are up then it will deter them from doing it,” said Davidson.
The department said in 2023, the cameras were used in 122 cases with 55 of them solved.
The cameras give the agency access to a network of over 3,000 cameras in the Flock system, providing 24/7 coverage.
“Burke County Sheriff’s Office had entered a stolen car and stolen plate, and the car passed one of our cameras one morning coming into Gastonia,” Gastonia Police said in a statement. “One of our officers received the alert from the cameras and was able to stop this car. The driver was arrested for possession of a stolen vehicle and SEVERAL outstanding warrants. The passenger was arrested for possession of meth.”
The cameras also stepped in to help identify a homicide suspect.
“There was a homicide and during the course of the investigation, a witness was able to describe a suspect vehicle and direction of travel for the vehicle. The scene of the homicide just happened to be about 500 feet from one of our Flock cameras,” the department shared. “Neighborhood camera canvases were used to eliminate alternate routes of escape for the suspect vehicle and to verify that the suspect vehicle had to have passed the Flock camera seconds after the homicide. This information led to identifying the suspect vehicle from the homicide and at least one of the suspects in an ongoing homicide investigation.”
Cameras are strategically placed to help reduce and solve crimes across neighborhoods, near schools and businesses.
“There was a shooting and attempted armed robbery in downtown Gastonia. A suspect vehicle developed from the use of our downtown cameras but could only tell the unique color of the Ford Mustang as well as the fact that it had tinted windows,” the department added. “Flock cameras in the downtown area were then checked for surrounding days with the color and make of the vehicle as a starting point. It was able to find a vehicle matching that description the day after the shooting just blocks from where the shooting occurred. The tag number of the vehicle identified through Flock was researched and a person of interest was developed from previous traffic stops of the vehicle. This case is still ongoing but has already resulted in linking this person of interest and vehicle with other robberies and should also result in an attempted murder charge when all of the digital evidence is in.”
The police department was awarded a $15,000 grant by Norfolk Southern and a nearly $1 million grant by the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services to implement the real-time crime center. The police department plans to cover the cost of the cameras through grants.
“I think it is a good thing,” said Haney. “That way they can see what is going on, who is going it, and hopefully catch them quicker.”
Contact Jesse Pierre at jpierrepet@wcnc.com or follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.