A shooting in downtown Minneapolis resulted in nearly an immediate arrest thanks to a proactive public safety plan their police department implemented. Like many law enforcement agencies across the country, MPD is currently experiencing a serious shortage of officers. Using surveillance cameras, including Commander 3400 mobile units (shown behind Chief O’Hara in above video), officers can efficiently monitor and respond to suspicious activity in targeted areas.

“We have a great camera system downtown because we are able to watch and react before something happens.”

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara*

MPD has deployed many Mobile Pro Systems surveillance platforms throughout the years with great success. We’re proud our products have earned the trust of law enforcement professionals and the contribution they make in creating safer cities. For more information about the Commander 3400 or other Mobile Pro Systems products for law enforcement, call 952-324-5656.

*Reg Chapman, “MPD video shows how officers apprehended downtown shooting suspect within minutes”, WCCO News, February 16, 2024. See full online article here.

In recent months, Twin Cities’ Metro Transit Police have been using every tool at their disposal as they face a significant increase in reported violence on public transportation. Serious crimes, such as robberies, aggravated assaults and theft, were up 35% from 2018 causing concern to riders and officials alike.  In response, the agency implemented a proactive policing initiative which added extra officers and real-time surveillance monitoring of light-rail trains, buses, platforms and stations. Last month, those efforts began to pay off.

In early December, a group of teens boarded a Twin Cities’ Metro Transit light-rail car and attacked a group of passengers, physically injuring several riders including some who attempted to stop the violence. Then the attackers fled the train at another stop and proceeded to assault a man on the street before slipping into a nearby restaurant. After reviewing footage from cameras on the train and MPS surveillance trailers deployed near the platforms, officers were able to act quickly and arrest several of the suspects as they left the restaurant. They were also able to link some of the suspects to assaults that had been reported several weeks earlier on another line.

“…a man leaving the nearby Culver’s reported an assault by the same group. Thanks to surveillance cameras on the train and platforms, responding officers identified the six suspects. They made three arrests at the scene and a fourth in recent days.”

—Spokesperson for the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office*

To learn more about the MPS camera trailers used by Twin Cities Metro Transit Police and many other law enforcement agencies, call 952-324-5656 today.

*Kent Erdahl, “Teens arrested in light rail assaults”, NBC KARE11, December 10, 2019. See full online article here.

Community confidence in the ability to work and shop safely in downtown Eugene, Oregon, was slipping last year and the Eugene Police Department (EPD) was determined to reduce incidents and bring people back. When they acquired three new camera trailers from Mobile Pro Systems to place around the city, they knew it was important to inform the public about the surveillance units beforehand and convey how the video surveillance would be used. Their goal was to be proactive, not reactive, in alleviating any typical concerns law-abiding citizens might have when they noticed the trailers for the first time. By naming the trailers as ‘Guardian Trailers’, the EPD set the tone and expectations for the anti-crime initiative.

“This is not designed to try and catch people doing things, this is not designed to try and sneak up on people. This is designed for people to see these trailers, feel comfortable knowing that the Eugene Police Department is paying attention,” said Eugene Police Department Chief, Chris Skinner.*

The EPD’s approach is an excellent example of how law enforcement can present the new tools they are using to create safer cities. Bringing the public on-board from the start played a significant role in anchoring public trust in mobile surveillance as an extension of the EPD’s commitment to protect its citizens. You can read about the positive feedback received from vendors and visitors a few short months later in our post ‘Guardian Trailers’ Increase Safety in Downtown Eugene, Oregon.

*Stephanie Rothman, “New ‘guardian trailers’ placed around downtown Eugene to help with public safety”, NBC16 KMTR, October 19, 2018.  See full online article here.