Wheeling Goes High-Tech To Fight Crime

Even if you don't see a Wheeling police cruiser or officer, they still may be watching.

The city now has five surveillance cameras that will help police fight crime and deter criminal activity.

"I think the good law abiding citizens of Wheeling will be happy. I say to the bad guys, 'Beware,'" said Chief Robert Matheny.

Grant money is providing funding for the crime-fighting technology. The five cameras were installed in areas where police felt they could use some extra help monitoring activity. Crews installed two cameras downtown, two in East Wheeling and one on Wheeling Island.

The cameras will be connected to monitors in Matheny's office and at Wheeling police headquarters.

"We felt the cameras would help us identify vehicles, license plates, people that are unknown to the area," Matheny said.

The cameras aren't the only crime-fighting technology Wheeling police will use. The department also just received a grant to buy a mobile license plate reader that can scan the license plate of any vehicle that passes a cruiser.

"Should the vehicle be entered into a database as wanted, suspicious, or for whatever reason (is) in the database, it will alert the officers in the patrol car to stop the vehicle," Matheny said.

Matheny said he believes the cameras will also be a criminal deterrent and he hopes to connect with other cameras in Ohio County in the future.

"With technology, you either jump aboard or miss the boat, so to speak. And I feel that we've certainly jumped aboard and that we're being very proactive in this area," he said.