Ft. Lauderdale is a major tourist destination in Florida. With only around 165,000 residents, though, it doesn’t have a huge amount of police resources to spare. They came up with an inventive solution, outfitting an old Brinks armored truck as a mobile police surveillance unit. Dubbed “The Peacemaker,” police say this vehicle can add enhanced police presence in high-crime areas 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
The Peacemaker takes video surveillance, which is then reviewed for criminal activity. It’s stationed outside of areas that are known to have a high crime rate, such as public parks, shopping malls, gas stations, and cemeteries.
Ft. Lauderdale, FL is not the only city to use a mobile surveillance unit. Like many of the others, they have reported a marked decrease in crimes since it started in 2011. But no everyone is 100% sold on the Peacemaker.
A detective on the Fort Lauderdale Police Department (FLPD) states that the truck does not look into people’s homes, but some individuals still see the surveillance truck as a violation of privacy. Others say it brings discrimination and rejection from the community when the truck is placed outside of a person’s business or home.
What do you think? Are mobile surveillance trucks the way to go? Or are they a violation of individuals’ rights? Perhaps communities and businesses are better off taking matters into their own hands by hiring on safety and security officers to personally watch over their premises.
Curtis Protective Services Officers have the professional knowledge and skills to patrol watch your property day and night, whether or not The Peacemaker is around.
