Minnetonka police add mobile camera following increase in crime
By Crime Watch MN, Mar. 30, 2022
The Minnetonka Police Department has added a new tool to its arsenal of crime fighting tools following what they called an “uptick” in crime in some areas.
The west suburban department purchased a mobile camera trailer that allows police to stream real-time video in areas without permanent cameras or areas that could benefit from additional video feeds, a recent news release stated.
The city council approved the purchase late last year at an estimated cost of $68,000. The purchase of a mobile camera had been scheduled for 2024, but the timetable for purchase was changed due to the recent criminal activity in city parks and concern for the safety of park visitors, according to the city’s website.
“We appreciate that the city council saw the deterrent value in a mobile camera that can help us temporarily monitor activity when we cannot always be present,” said Capt. Andy Gardner.
The department said that a certain (unnamed) apartment building was experiencing an unusually high number of reports of thefts from vehicles. They said during the three-week deployment of the camera at that site, no thefts were reported.
The news release also stated that the camera could be used for real-time information regarding traffic and crowd size to assist event organizers and with other large-scale gatherings.
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