BEAUMONT, Texas — Beaumont Independent School District wants to help the Beaumont Police Department fight crime.
Last week the school board voted to integrate cameras across the district into BPD 's Fusus program at the new Real-Time Crime Center.
It will cost nearly $100,000 annually to connect the cameras but despite the cost the district says it'll be worth it.
BISD Police Chief Joseph Malbrough tells 12News whether you work in the district or just live in the city, this as an opportunity to increase public safety.
"It helps us to truly be able to combat crime," Malbrough said.
BISD is one of the latest organizations to join the hundreds of camera owners partnering with BPD's Fusus program.
"Our schools are stationed throughout the city. So unfortunately if an incident does take place or occur throughout the city, they would have the ability to utilize those external cameras to assist in investigation a potential criminal act," said Malbrough.
He says across the 27 campuses around 1,000 external cameras will be integrated and in the case of an emergency interior cameras could be accessed as well.
"In the event there is an incident happening inside a classroom. It allows the teacher to push a panic button provided they have the app on their phone, it allows the video to be a full recording system," Malbrough said.
Haley Morrow with the police department says this could be life-saving in an active shooter situation.
"Our Real-Time Crime Center officers will be seeing that and they are able to give real-time information to officers that are responding," Morrow said.
At BISD Malbrough says Fusus would allow the department to tap into plate readers to help officers solve hit-and-runs and bus accidents.
"In the past, we would normally have citizens say hey we have video footage on our phone. The license plate readers would allow us to better investigate and identify and locate that particular vehicle," said Malbrough.
Malbrough tells 12News a timeline for the integration has not yet been set but they hope to discuss the next steps soon.