Security net dropped over Downtown ahead of National Championship
ATLANTA - A warning to all who would want to disrupt the National Championship celebration in downtown, big brother will be watching.
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Atlanta Police said they will have more cameras than ever before watching every move of anybody in the area around the stadium. They can even zoom in to see exactly what people are doing, what they are wearing, and read the logos on clothes.
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Having a high-grade camera is very important, but that's only one component. What else is needed? Officers who are aware and looking around and possibly ready to respond.
FOX 5 News was allowed a first-hand look at how it all works and how police are making sure fans stay safe. Unexpectedly during the tour of the police facility with police brass, FOX 5 cameras caught police in action going forward and talking to somebody who they thought could be a suspicious person.
“That's what we try to preach to all of the officers for them to be vigilant and to be aware of people standing around and as I mentioned lingering in a corner or looking like they may be placing objects into a trash can. We are trying to make sure people don't leave objects behind,” said Major John Quigley, Atlanta Police Department.
Click the video above to view the full demonstration
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“There is enough cameras in this vicinity that, you know, we’ll likely see anything that comes in and out of it. The bottom line then is how far from that facility can we track it? But in the vicinity we should have no problem,” said Major Quigley.
How sharp is the eye from above? From inside the Atlanta Police Department Joint Operations Command Center, where they will have access to thousands of cameras, including several hundred owned by the Mercedes-Benz complex The camera form a dome of about a half-mile radius around the complex.
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“We are looking for people that, you know, are hanging around in one place as well as anybody who may be, you know, moving towards go trash cans, putting things in there, large objects and look at clothing and see what they might be wearing, seeing if there is a possibility they are concealing a weapon. You know, no vehicles are sitting where they shouldn't be sitting and that people are not lingering where they shouldn't be lingering,” said Major Quigley.
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