July 6, 2004

The University of Houston Police Department (UHPD) is adding a few more eyes to monitor suspicious activities.

UHPD is focusing on increased security on campus with the help of surveillance cameras.

Recently, cameras have been installed in parking lot 1A, near Moody Towers, and lot 20, near the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center, and soon will be added to 18A, which is next to the Law Center.

“These cameras provide a recorded account of activity in these locations,” said Robert Wilson, UH Police Chief. “There also will be someone monitoring these cameras from the police department.”

Wilson added that the officers monitoring the cameras will primarily be on “virtual patrol” during times of the day when crimes are most likely to be committed. The video feed from each of the cameras will be observed from the parking enforcement facility behind the police station.

During the past year, an initial test run of security cameras located in and around Moody Towers, as well as outside of Cullen Oaks, was successful. These cameras were instrumental in leading to the arrest of a robbery suspect and in apprehending vandals.

“The robbery footage looked like a student pulling up in a car, getting out and talking to another student in a parked car,” Wilson said. “What was actually happening was a robbery. When the crime was called in, we went back and saw it on the tape. Because the vehicle was so distinct, we were able track down the suspect.”

The cameras are provided by Dallas-based SecureNet, the same vendor that outfitted the university with the police call boxes in various areas of the campus.

David Irvin, associate vice president of plant operations, said that additional cameras are being purchased and will be installed in areas that maintain high student traffic around the clock. The areas to be fitted with cameras will be near Philip Guthrie Hoffman Hall, the Graduate School of Social Work and the M.D. Anderson Library. He anticipated that these locations would be camera-equipped by fall.

“We’re aiming to reduce crime on campus,” Wilson said. “These cameras, along with the police call boxes and parking enforcement personnel, who also serve as security officers, will help us do that.”

Mike Emery
memery@central.uh.edu