50 new hi-tech cameras will be used to track the movement of Brampton criminals

Brampton is spending $11.4 million to install specialized cameras at major intersections to record the movement of criminals.

The cameras will have 360-degree technology able to record in all directions. They will also have the capability of capturing license plate numbers.

“This is a game changer,”  said Peel Region Deputy Police Chief Anthony Odoardi.

The camera locations will be kept secret and be linked to Peel Police who can quickly follow the movement of vehicles during a criminal investigation.

Some of the cameras are already in place and all will be installed by the end of this year.

Brampton is the first municipality in Canada to use the technology that has been growing in popularity in U.S. cities.

Mayor Patrick Brown said camera technology has already proved to be successful on Highways 403 and 410 where the number of shooting incidents has declined drastically since they were introduced.

He believes the intersection cameras will also act as a deterrent as well as provide police with valuable information.

Up to now, Brown said, police have had to rely on the availability of home security camera video and those from businesses to piece together information.

“(With these new cameras) police will be able to track a car to an intersection and then we got them,” said Brown. “This is a technology that will capture at a high-level of digital effectiveness that we can use in the courts. And I am proud to announce this publicly, I want organized crime to know the very bad news that if they operate in Brampton they’re are going to be caught.”

He said the cameras can also be used to record traffic accidents or other public safety matters. Unlike other cameras that are used to capture speeders, this system will not issue tickets. It will also not have facial recognition capabilities to protect the privacy of those not involved in criminal activity.

“This is about helping police, not penalizing drivers,” said Brown, adding the city already has deployed 200 speed cameras across the city.