To get an idea of the growth Project NOLA has seen in Hattiesburg, Ward 2 Councilwoman Deborah Delgado recently requested an update on the initiative, a system of surveillance cameras from the University of New Orleans that was recently implemented in the City of Hattiesburg to be a proactive measure to prevent crime throughout the city.
Officials from the Hattiesburg Police Department gave that information at a recent city council meeting, where they said the program started with 10 cameras at a cost of $7,700, which includes one year of service. Currently, out of those 10 cameras, the police force has seven that are installed and three that are not.
The locations of those cameras are at the intersections of 4th Street and 38th Avenue, Mobile and 7th streets, Hutchinson and 4th streets, Main and 4th streets, 40th Avenue and Hardy Street, Dabbs and May streets, and on Broadway Drive near AutoZone.
Several private commercial establishments have opted into the program, according to police officials, including Francis Street Apartments and Eagle Trail Apartments.
Shortly after the implementation of Project NOLA in Hattiesburg, the police force was given the opportunity to purchase 20 additional cameras at a cost of $17,800, including service for one year.
Those 20 cameras are installed, although officials are still waiting on service to be connected at those units.
The cameras were equally distributed throughout each ward, and, according to police officials, three shootings on Martin Luther King Avenue were solved with the assistance of the program. As many as 10 more crimes were prevented.
