Thomasville police add to crime reduction system

THOMASVILLE — The Thomasville Police Department will officially launch a safety system this week that is designed to help reduce crime and gun violence in the city.

With the assistance of Flock Safety System, more than 90 gunshot protection devices have been installed, with cameras and license plate recognition device installations to begin this week.

The new system will work in partnership with Thomasville Police Department officers by providing real-time information to better aid officer response. According to TPD Major Shane Harris, the system will provide responding officers with immediate information when a crime occurs so the officer is more prepared upon arrival.

“If there’s an incident involving a shooting, this new system will alert us that gunshots were detected so an officer is not going into a scene blindly,” Harris said. “Officers will enter dangerous situations with more information to help establish safe interactions and safe policing. Our goal is crime reduction and positive law enforcement interactions throughout the community.”

The Thomasville Police Department provided data to Flock Safety that identified hot spot areas where the largest numbers of crime incidents have occurred. The company’s engineers reviewed this information, selected installation locations based on areas containing high numbers of police calls as well as best coverage areas. The system will be installed on city property, not private property.

“The Flock Safety System has and will continue to be installed on city rights of way in open areas,” Harris said. “We will also install cameras at the major intersections and gateways of Thomasville to help improve the safety of our city and potentially assist surrounding law enforcement agencies.”

Cities currently using the system have reported declines in gunfire, gun violence, and gun crimes.

“Through our initial research, some police departments were reporting a 60-70% reduction in crime after they employed this technology,” Harris said.

Once fully installed, the Thomasville Police Department will continue to review data and crime statistics to evaluate the system’s effectiveness.

For more information, visit flocksafety.com or contact Harris at (229) 227-7076.

Special Photo: Thomasville PD