The University of Southern Maine has installed 11 surveillance cameras on the Portland campus, with talks of more to come. A $36,000 Homeland Security grant funded the new equipment. A couple thousand dollars went to a computer system to monitor the cameras, $1,500-$2,000 was spent to improve USM Police dispatch equipment and the remainder was spent on CCTV (Closed Circuit Television).
“It’s about security and what we can do to make things safer for the students,” said Rudy Somma, communications supervisor of the USM Police Department. “By using cameras we might be able to get a better check on things.”
Of the 11 cameras installed by the University on the Portland campus, students can find one on the roof of Masterton Hall. This is a PTZ (Pan-Tilt-Zoom) camera and can zoom in on any objects that catch the camera’s eye from Bedford Street to the parking garage to the Woodbury Campus Center.
The other 10 cameras monitor the Science Building.
“All 10 cameras are on exterior doors.” Said Somma. These cameras cover the Science building’s loading dock, elevators and every door that leads to a room with hazardous chemicals.
Gorham has one camera, which is expected to be active within a month.
These surveillance cameras capture 30 days worth of footage before all of the recordings are reset for the next 30 days. All the recordings go straight to the police headquarters in Gorham, but are only checked when a crime has been reported.
The PTZ camera on Masterton watched a man stealing a small trailer out of the parking lot in Portland in front of the Woodbury Campus Center. When the crime was reported, police went to view the tape of the parking lot and from figured out who stole the trailer and arrested the culprit.
Police were also able to pin-point the traffic problems on Bedford Street and are anxiously awaiting the opening of the catwalk over the street to alleviate all traffic problems.
“They’re looking for cameras for the garage,” said Somma added. Surveillance cameras had appeared in the garage during its construction, along with cameras capturing the construction of the John Mitchell Center in Gorham.
According to Somma, Bowdoin and Colby colleges also expect the arrival of CCTV.