DEARBORN, MI (WOWO) Dearborn police are introducing a new real-time crime monitoring system that combines thousands of cameras with a drone response program designed to speed up emergency calls across the city.
The Dearborn Police Department says it is the first agency in Michigan to deploy the FUSUS platform, which integrates city-owned surveillance cameras, participating business security systems, officer body cameras, dash cameras and live video from residents’ smartphones during emergencies. The system operates independently from 911 dispatch, allowing officers to assess situations while calls are still in progress.
Police Chief Issa Shahin said the technology allows officers to access video from nearly anywhere in the city when businesses or residents opt in, according to reporting from WXYZ-TV. Officials say businesses can choose their level of participation and are charged an annual fee that is lower than similar camera programs.
When a participating business calls 911, police can immediately view live security footage. Dispatchers can also send secure links to callers, allowing phone cameras to stream directly to the department’s crime center to help locate callers and determine the appropriate response.
Some business owners told WXYZ they support the system because it gives officers visual access before they arrive on scene. Others expressed concerns about surveillance and automatic police access to private cameras.
Police officials say cameras are not monitored continuously and are only accessed during emergency calls. The department says all camera use is logged and published on the city’s public transparency page.
The program also includes six police drones positioned throughout Dearborn. The department says the drones provide live video, thermal imaging and zoom capabilities, reducing response times to under two-and-a-half minutes. The drones are equipped with safety features, including emergency parachutes, and transmit live feeds back to the department’s crime center.
Dearborn police say the system is now fully operational and available to participating businesses and residents citywide.
