BEAUMONT, Texas — the City of Beaumont is teaming up with Beaumont Police Department's Real Time Crime Center to install cameras at more city parks and hike and bike trails.
The city says that this will help capture criminals in the act.
The Real Time Crime Center says cameras at parks helped police solve the Rodgers Park triple shooting back in October 2022.
The city also says that installing cameras around popular hike and bike trails was a successful deterrent after a string of car break-ins.
Now the city wants to take things a step further.
"They most definitely need it (Real Time Crime Cameras) especially for this park," said Beaumont resident, Charlotte Wyatt.
Residents who live near Sprott Park in south Beaumont are ecstatic to learn their park will be one of 10 parks getting surveillance cameras in 2025.
"I've seen spray paint on the side walks, and actually I witnessed a runner being mauled by a dog several months ago," said resident Larry Burton.
In March, turf for the park donated by the Dallas Cowboys was inexplicably lit on fire.
"It destroyed over 25% of the turf, and it enabled us to put a full turf football field down. So what we did is we planted some real good seeds to do a grass football field, and then we had someone drive over it with an RV some of those sides by sides, and destroyed the whole grass field," said Beaumont city councilman, Albert Turner.
The new 360 degree cameras being installed will connect with BPD's Real Time Crime Center, allowing officers to view crimes as they occur.
"It reduces the amount of time it takes to basically solve the crime, or find out who did it. Or just generate a lead which direction to go," said Sergeant Michael Garris.
If the cameras themselves are vandalized, the data backs up to two separate clouds.
"If you're on camera we're going to find out who you are. If you damage a camera they're backed up, we're always gonna have the data," said Sergeant Garris.
Beaumont's Chief Technology Officer, Angela Wright, says that the city is working diligently to get cameras in every park across Beaumont.
The city says that adding surveillance cameras to parks won't cost tax payers more money because it's already accounted for in the city's 2025 capital budget.