Monday, February 28, 2011
Standard-Examiner
OGDEN -- Attempting a police omniscience seen in only about 20 U.S. cities, the Ogden Police Department is gearing up for a "real time crime center" to be operational soon after its Crime Blimp launches.
The center hopes to eventually be linked with the thousands of private and government security cameras around town, including the city's own inventory of some 200 cameras.
Utah Department of Transportation and Utah Transit Authority are already on board to share their cameras with Ogden police in the video center planned for soon-to-be-remodeled offices in the department headquarters.
Officials are shooting for an April launch date for the blimp, under construction by Weber State University's Utah Center for Aeronautical Innovation and Design, which will feed video to a fledgling version of the RTCC. They hope the center is fully operational by July...[Full Article]
Labels: blimp, security cameras, Utah
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Homeland Security Newswire
The mayor of Ogden, Utah, wants to buy a blimp to help the city police fight crime; Mayor Matthew Godfrey says a blimp is "far less expensive to purchase and to operate than the other UAVs that are out there"; Godfrey envisions using a blimp "largely to patrol," and said that another benefit of the model being developed for Ogden is that its route can be pre-programmed; he also highlights the blimp's "deterrent factor"
T-Hawk's entry for police surveillance blimps // Source: suasnews.com
The Utah mayor who wants his town to use unmanned blimp to fight crime says that when it comes to the cost of a UAV, there is no beating blimps...
[Full Article]Labels: big brother, blimp, Ogden, police, police state, privacy, surveillance, Utah
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
(Reuters) - A proposed unmanned floating airship surveillance system is being hailed by city officials in Ogden, Utah as one way to fight crime in its neighborhoods.
"We believe it will be a deterrent to crime when it is out and about and will help us solve crimes more quickly when they do occur," Ogden City Mayor Matthew Godfrey told Reuters.
The airship entails military technology now available to local law enforcement, he said.
Godfrey floated the idea of a dirigible in the skies above Ogden for his city council members last week. The council is expected to vote on the measure in coming weeks.
He says the cost of the blimp is being negotiated but said it is more "cost effective" to operate than helicopters or fixed winged aircraft.
"We anticipate using it mainly at night. The cameras have incredible night vision to see with tremendous clarity daytime and nighttime. It will be used like a patrol car. It will be used to go and check things out and keep things safe," said Godfrey.
One person will be able to operate the system but Godfrey says it will also function on its own with programing directives...
[Full Article]Labels: big brother, blimp, surveillance, Utah
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