Myrtle Beach surveillance camera project on track to wrap up by year’s end

More than 800 surveillance cameras have been going up this year to watch Myrtle Beach’s streets, intersections, and beach accesses, and while some cameras have already been used successfully, the four-phase project won’t be finished until the end of the year and not every eye in the sky can see yet.

The city quickly got the $2.1 million project moving after voting to install the cameras in late March, and phase one was completed in May with about 132 cameras placed along Ocean Boulevard.

The project entered its final phase on schedule in late November and is on track for completion at the end of December.

“We’ve hit our benchmarks that we established, and we’re very pleased with that,” said Lt. Joey Crosby, Myrtle Beach police spokesman. “It’s been a cooperative effort by HTC [Horry Telephone Cooperative] and multiple departments in the city.”

During phase four, hundreds of cameras will be added to Myrtle Beach’s busy intersections that police have deemed high traffic areas where many car crashes happen. The extra eyes will be scattered from U.S. 17 Bypass down to Kings Highway, Crosby said.

While these cameras will be viewing intersections, the data they collect won’t be used for issuing speeding tickets, but will instead keep an eye on traffic, review car crash footage, and any crime incidents, Crosby said.

Phase two began over the summer and spilled into the fall with about 112 cameras added at beach access points, and phase three included hundreds of cameras going up in places along Kings Highway and Myrtle Beach’s backstreets, but some connectivity issues with that phase are still being sorted out, Crosby said.

City officials and police aim to use the cameras during events and criminal investigations -- along with giving police a leg up when responding to a crime or crash scene -- and to serve as a crime deterrent.

“We have a great crowd that comes to visit Myrtle Beach every year, but there are some individuals who choose to act up or misbehave and knowing high resolution video cameras are there will hopefully cut down on that misbehavior,” said Mark Kruea, Myrtle Beach city spokesman. “Should people still choose to misbehave, we’ll have a nice clear picture of them.”

Live feed from the cameras streams into the Myrtle Beach dispatch center where it’s kept for several weeks unless it becomes evidence in a criminal investigation. Crosby said data isn’t kept longer because of storage issues.

“The amount of data collected is extremely large and requires a considerable amount of storage space,” Crosby said.

“People come to Myrtle Beach to have a good time and having this extra level of surveillance will provide a heightened security for everybody. It should give people a comfort level that this is a safe place to come stroll, to shop, and enjoy the sights and sounds of Myrtle Beach,” Kruea said.

Several successes so far

Since the cameras went up, police and city officials have been putting them to use. On Nov. 12, the cameras captured invaluable footage of suspects arrested in connection with two vacant motel arsons that happened along Ocean Boulevard.

Michael Blake, 20, is charged with two counts of third-degree arson and two counts of third-degree burglary after allegedly starting fires at the Emerald Shores Motel, 404 N. Ocean Blvd., and then later the same morning at the Carousel Motel, 1402 S Ocean Blvd. -- which are both empty properties, police, said.

Terry Allen Myrick, 63, is charged with one count of third-degree arson in connection with the fire at the Carousel Motel, an arrest warrant shows.

“This was a tool we used to enhance our capabilities to apprehend the fugitives here. They’re [cameras] another tool we’re excited to have in our toolbox,” Crosby said.

Both men are jailed at J. Reuben Long Detention Center, with Blake held on $100,000 bond and Myrick held on $50,000 bond, records show.

The cameras recently installed on Kings Highway in phase three of the project led to the arrests of Bobby Steven Bellamy and Michael Keith McKenith, both 25 and from Aynor, with each facing three counts of attempted murder after a shooting happened during the early morning hours of Nov. 1 on the 500 block of Ninth Avenue North near the former Club Levelz. Two victims were taken to the hospital in that incident, Crosby said.

The men were arrested Nov. 3 after cameras captured an image of the suspects’ car, police said. Both are being held at J. Reuben Long Detention Center, according to jail records.

Additionally, the cameras have been used in several investigations, including an incident involving dispatchers helping police catch a man who ran from them during a traffic stop over the summer.

The cameras also got a picture of a vehicle that was possibly involved in a case of a missing girl from North Carolina over the summer; however, the vehicle was later determined to not be connected to the case, but the cameras proved to be a useful tools in the investigation, Crosby said.

“Officers, and other city staff members, are utilizing this tool on a daily basis to assist with an array of assignments, investigations, and events,” Crosby said. “They have proven to be a great asset.”

The cameras were also successfully used to help control traffic and crowds during Memorial Day weekend and during the Carolina Country Music Festival in June, officials said.

Adjustments and bumps along the way

No major snags have been reported with the project so far, but some adjustments in the placements of the cameras have been made along the way, Crosby said. Sometimes a camera goes up in one location, and officials later decide to move it elsewhere so it’s situated in a more effective location.

In late September when the project was nearing the end of phase two, which involved beach access installation, Adam Brown, 29, of Myrtle Beach had his car broken into at the 65th Avenue North beach access.

“The camera is the reason I parked there. I thought, hey, if someone takes something, there’s a camera right here watching,” Brown said.

After hours in the ocean, Brown, 29, of Myrtle Beach went back to his car and nothing seemed amiss at first. His keys were right where he left them, hidden in the grill of his car. But, when he got inside he discovered $500 cash, prescription medicine, his wallet, and debit card were missing – all of which had been concealed in his locked car.

“There’s so many break-ins along the Myrtle Beach area, and I thought I was in a safe place, but I guess not,” Brown said.

Brown called Myrtle Beach police to report the incident and asked the responding officer if the cameras were working in that area, and the officer said he wasn’t sure, Brown said.

City Councilman Randal Wallace said he hoped the cameras would put a stop to car break-ins at the beach accesses all together, which he described as “crimes of opportunity” for criminals who sometimes watch those areas.

“Once people know the cameras are there, it may almost wipe out that crime. These things take pictures that are clear as a bell,” Wallace said. “The technology is amazing to me.”

The project is watched over regularly by police and city officials who receive updates on it and then pass information along to patrol officers who know they can review footage for cases, Crosby said.

He warned that residents should not become complacent because cameras are in place. Residents and visitors should always be aware of their surroundings, not leave valuables visible, and lock their car doors, Crosby said.

“Even if there is a camera, don’t rely on it 100 percent,” Crosby said.

Crosby also urged the public to be patient with the project because it’s a very large-scale installation process.

“This is not like installing security cameras in a home or business. This is a huge project for the city,” Crosby said.

A camera going up on a pole is just one element of the project, Crosby said. The installation process involves equipment going up then workers fine tuning with transmission signals. After that, the camera goes live, meaning the feed from the camera can be viewed in the Myrtle Beach dispatch center, and dispatchers will contact police if they see a crime happening.

However, on Nov. 1, a police report stated that a utility box near a camera at 41st Avenue North was reportedly vandalized.

The camera itself was not damaged, but a telephone box near it was. Crosby said police aren’t worried about vandalism becoming an issue.

“Cameras were installed at a height and installed at locations in which we were comfortable that would deter any vandalism events. We certainly understand that vandalism may occur, but prior to the installations we [police and city officials] met beforehand and talked about various considerations and equipment that would deter those vandalisms from occurring. Those proper steps have been taken, and those conversations have been had, so we’re comfortable with where the cameras are being installed and that they’re safe,” Crosby said.

He said a maintenance agreement is in place for upkeep on the cameras as well.

Also, while many support the cameras, some feel they are an invasion of privacy.

Crosby said the cameras aren’t looking into anyone’s private property.

“The images being captured are strictly on the public roadway. This is a tool to enhance the safety of our city… We understand concerns of citizens about the cameras, but we also hope citizens will understand we’ve taken the steps and precautions to make our city as safe as possible for them,” Crosby said.

This story was originally published December 12, 2015 at 1:04 AM with the headline "Myrtle Beach surveillance camera project on track to wrap up by year’s end."