Leaders moved forward Tuesday with plans to install a nearly $2.1 million network of surveillance cameras throughout Myrtle Beach.
City Spokesman Mark Kruea says the network would add more than 800 cameras to approximately 200 sites across the city. The initiative would target both high crime and busy traffic areas.
City Council passed the first reading of a lease agreement Tuesday to help fund infrastructure for the system – including its servers, network and fiber. Separate appropriations will pay for the nearly $800,000 in cameras associated with the network, according to the ordinance.
Should the project move forward, the city plans to install the cameras in four phases, starting along Ocean Boulevard. While Myrtle Beach Police have not finalized specific locations, crews would install additional cameras on street ends, back streets of Ocean Boulevard and in other “high intensity” areas.
“What we’re hoping to do is as someone is watching the viewing board, we hope to get that information to officers in real time responding to the incident, so the officers know before they arrive on scene [so they] can respond to an incident better,” Lt. Joey Crosby said.
Crosby says plans include the installation of some cameras at beach accesses to help reduce a specific summer crime.
“Eventually cameras will be installed in the beach accesses so we can deter those B&E autos during the summer time,” he explained.
Passing of the ordinance would allow the city to enter into a 3-year lease-purchase agreement with Bank of America Public Capital Corp for up to $1.29 million at an interest rate of 1.456%. The agreement, according to officials, would add approximately $422,000/year to the city’s budget for May Events from 2016 – 2018.