T.R. Williams released statement discussing inmate safety in Lawrence County with newly finished security system, and 360 degree cameras around the jail.
T.R. Williams released the following statement on Wednesday discussing the upgraded security system in Lawrence County Jail:
"Jail camera system already proving itself
Last week I talked about a grant designed to give people in the Lawrence, Giles, Wayne, and Maury County jails the skills to live better lives after they’re released.
Another way we serve men and women in our jail is keeping them safe and drug-free during their incarceration. A new state-of-the-art camera system is helping us do that job better.
The system it replaced was a conglomeration of three older ones. The first was installed when the jail was built and pieces of two more were added as cameras and other components failed.
There were constant problems and electrical storms were almost guaranteed to cause outages. The officer watching a cluster of small computer monitors in the master control room saw many gray squares where broken cameras pointed. We were definitely “limping through,” as County IT Director Brandon Calton described it.
Lawrence County native Neil Perry was hired to design and install a new system. He majored in computer science and engineering and has developed networks and audio visual projects for clients all over the country, including local governments in Tennessee.
The design phase started last December. Perry spent six months developing a system that stores massive amounts of data; eliminates blind spots in and around the 61,000 square foot facility; is weather- and tamper-proof; and will serve our needs for years to come.
The total number of cameras didn’t increase much, but the 89 we have now are broadcast-quality, Perry explained, like those used by news stations to make live reports from remote locations. There are massive storage capabilities in each camera and the server for recordings that automatically start when motion is detected. Views from every camera are shown on three large screens in master control.
Four poles around the jail have cameras that capture 360-degree views and can read a license plate several hundred yards away. Indoors, cameras are present in inmate pods; trained on doors that are opened and closed at master control; and doubled up in areas where there’s potential for trouble. They are not located in showers or bathrooms.
The system took a month to install and became operational the end of July. Jail Administrator Susan Taylor says it’s already made her job – keeping residents safe and drug-free – easier.
Cameras on the west side of the building captured video of someone throwing a small package of meth from a car traveling on the street between the courthouse and convenience store. The inmate waiting for the delivery had trustee privileges and actually helped install the system, so should have realized that was a bad idea, Perry said. Cameras in one of the pods showed a fight was starting and corrections officers were able to step in early.
Film recorded in Booking showed a tiny package of drugs slip from a defendant’s pants leg and fall on the floor. No one noticed, so he put his foot over it and pushed it under his seat. When he was called to the counter, the good citizen pointed it out to officers and pretended he’d discovered it there. A review of the film revealed the truth.
With Neil’s help, we got the best quality equipment at good prices. Many thanks to him and our IT Director, who keeps the systems in 18 county buildings running smoothly."
Photo Credit: Lawrence County Tennessee Government.
