MIDTOWN BLUE . LEGIONNAIRES

Legionnaires Increase Effectiveness of Already Proven Surveillance Cameras

When a thief walked out of a Midtown office building with $50,000 worth of ill-gotten computer equipment, including several laptops, he left behind an unmistakable image—his own.

Captured by a street surveillance camera, strategically positioned and monitored by Midtown Blue public safety force, the video image is admissible courtroom evidence and helped bring the perpetrator to justice, said Colonel Wayne Mock, Midtown Public Safety Manager and Homeland Security Coordinator.

The incident is one of several wherein the cameras, installed this past spring, already have proved their worth both as crime deterrents and law enforcement tools. With dispatchers observing the monitors at Midtown Blue headquarters at 999 Peachtree Street, the cameras have helped stop burglaries, break-ins and auto thefts; documented cases of public misconduct; aided officers in ticketing motorists; and expedited public safety responses to numerous incidences in Midtown.

Now with the formation of the Midtown Blue Legionnaires, the effectiveness of the street surveillance cameras is about to come into even sharper focus. The Legionnaires are trained professionals who will man the display monitors round-the-clock on the lookout for wrongdoings in and around Midtown. Moreover, the Legionnaires, in their distinctive khaki uniforms and Foreign Legion-style hats, will patrol the streets from 7AM until dusk, looking for people in need of assistance and being “the eyes and ears” of the Atlanta Police Department and Midtown Blue officers.

A major player in creating the Downtown Ambassadors, Mock said he wanted professionals with “a blend of community policing skills and customer service know-how” for the Legionnaire team. Currently, the Legionnaires number seven with the expectation of 15 to 20 members by the end of 2005. All members receive in-depth on-the-street training. “We expect them to learn the district foot by foot and door to door,” Mock said. “This is a must in order for them to become the eyes and ears of the public safety officers in Midtown.”

The camera surveillance system is enhanced by a Nextel state-of-the-art communication network that links the Midtown Blue Legionnaires with the police and private security in Midtown, facilitating officer response time to public safety, traffic and transportation, and homeland security issues.

“The definition of public safety today includes everything from controlling litter to expediting officer response to crime and emergency scenes,” Mock said. The combination of street surveillance cameras and Midtown Blue Legionnaires helps define Midtown as a safe community and is a great example of community policing.


	MIDTOWN BLUE . MIDTOWN LEGIONNAIRES
	Legionnaires Increase Effectiveness of Already Proven Surveillance Cameras When a thief walked out of a Midtown office building with $50,000 worth of ill-gotten computer equipment, including several laptops, he left behind an unmistakable image—his own. Captured by a street surveillance camera, strategically positioned and monitored by Midtown Blue public safety force, the video image is admissible courtroom evidence and helped bring the perpetrator to justice, said Colonel Wayne Mock, Midtown Public Safety Manager and Homeland Security Coordinator. The incident is one of several wherein the cameras, installed this past spring, already have proved their worth both as crime deterrents and law enforcement tools. With dispatchers observing the monitors at Midtown Blue headquarters at 999 Peachtree Street, the cameras have helped stop burglaries, break-ins and auto thefts; documented cases of public misconduct; aided officers in ticketing motorists; and expedited public safety responses to numerous incidences in Midtown. Now with the formation of the Midtown Blue Legionnaires, the effectiveness of the street surveillance cameras is about to come into even sharper focus. The Legionnaires are trained professionals who will man the display monitors round-the-clock on the lookout for wrongdoings in and around Midtown. Moreover, the Legionnaires, in their distinctive khaki uniforms and Foreign Legion-style hats, will patrol the streets from 7AM until dusk, looking for people in need of assistance and being “the eyes and ears” of the Atlanta Police Department and Midtown Blue officers. A major player in creating the Downtown Ambassadors, Mock said he wanted professionals with “a blend of community policing skills and customer service know-how” for the Legionnaire team. Currently, the Legionnaires number seven with the expectation of 15 to 20 members by the end of 2005. All members receive in-depth on-the-street training. “We expect them to learn the district foot by foot and door to door,” Mock said. “This is a must in order for them to become the eyes and ears of the public safety officers in Midtown.” The camera surveillance system is enhanced by a Nextel state-of-the-art communication network that links the Midtown Blue Legionnaires with the police and private security in Midtown, facilitating officer response time to public safety, traffic and transportation, and homeland security issues. “The definition of public safety today includes everything from controlling litter to expediting officer response to crime and emergency scenes,” Mock said. The combination of street surveillance cameras and Midtown Blue Legionnaires helps define Midtown as a safe community and is a great example of community policing.