Ready your smiles Sterling residents. You may soon be on camera.
This month, the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office will begin keeping closer tabs on areas in eastern Loudoun known for high-incidences of crime via a hidden surveillance camera.
According to a Sheriff’s Office report presented to several county supervisors this month, a single high-resolution camera able to view a license plate from 100 yards away will be deployed for three months at an undisclosed location in or near two adjacent strip malls along Sterling Boulevard – Sterling Plaza and Sterling Shopping Mall, both of which have seen several high-profile crimes over the past several years.
In 2006, a man shot and killed two people in front of the Safeway at Sterling Plaza before killing himself.
Initially, use of the camera, which can be moved among different locations and will operate around the clock, will not be permanent, but will be part of a 90-day pilot program to evaluate its effectiveness in identifying crimes and suspects.
“We want to see how useful it is: What can we see? What type of information can we obtain?” said Sheriff’s Office spokesman Kraig Troxell, who added that use of the camera, if found to be successful, could be extended indefinitely after the pilot program concludes.
He also said that the Sheriff’s Office does not need to buy a camera since it already has one at its disposal. The camera, which will be hidden to avoid vandals, features a 160mm zoom lens and is able to pan and tilt to capture a wider area.
Despite not having to purchase a camera, the program will still cost the Sheriff’s Office about $1,500. The money is needed for a modem, installation and removal of the equipment and payment for three months of service from an Internet service provider. Deputies will be able to view the video through a Web browser from a remote location.
Supervisor Eugene Delgaudio (R-Sterling), whose district includes the area where the camera will be installed, praises the program, which was born from the 2008 Potomac/ Sterling Community Outreach Project, where county officials sought residents’ input on how to improve the quality of life in eastern Loudoun.
“We will be able to document in high-resolution what has occurred … and officers can respond,” he said. “We have a neighborhood watch, a business watch, and now, we will have a camera watch.”
Over the course of the next three months, the Sheriff’s Office will periodically update county officials on the effectiveness of the camera.
As recently as 2002 the Sterling Park area was a reasonably nice area. Can anyone tell me what happened? Anyone? Anyone? Come on, don't worry about being PC, you can say it...