Surveillance cameras installed in the city of Wheeling may begin recording later this week.
Police Chief Robert Matheny said Friday that four of five cameras have been attached to utility poles in the city, but the network to start recording still must be installed.
Staley Communications began installing the cameras about two weeks ago, one of which is attached to a pole at 14th and Market streets. The cameras - which move in all directions and can take still photos - were purchased with a $70,000 federal Justice Assistance Grant secured by the police department and Ohio County Emergency Management Agency Deputy Director Lou Vargo.
''The technology is amazing,'' Matheny said.
Matheny said he eventually would like officers to be able to use the cameras while in their cruisers. And he also would like surveillance access to cameras installed inside Ohio County's schools. For example, if a gunman is inside a building, officers could use the cameras to search for the suspect.
''It's a tactical advantage. We hope it never happens,'' Matheny said of a school shooting.
The cameras are not expected to be used for spying on people, but rather to deter crime and zoom in to the scenes of calls, Matheny said. For example, the cameras can be used to get a close-up view of the scene of a fight. As officers are driving to a scene, the crowd often disperses quickly. But cameras may help police identify people involved before the cruiser arrives.
The EMA already has three working cameras: on top of the Mull Center in the downtown, on a radio tower in Bethlehem and on another radio tower at The Highlands. The cameras' images can be viewed by the EMA, Wheeling police, the Ohio County Sheriff's Department and county Administrator Greg Stewart. Vargo noted the Bethlehem camera can zoom in to Wheeling Island Stadium.