GSN 2010 Awards: Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office

Captain David Baisden recounts the story of how the Sheriff’s Office was first advised by the Department of Justice to hire an additional 200 officers, which would have cost the taxpayers $10 million per year.  Instead, they explored replacing their antiquated PTZ camera system with a system of Avigilon high-definition megapixel cameras, which they ultimately installed themselves. In the first 30 days after the installation, the Sheriff’s Office was able to take 30 cases to the DA’s office, and 90% of the violence disappeared from the facility. Captain Baisden says it makes him “stomping mad” that some vendors are still promoting old surveillance technologies.  The Avigilon system, he says, has saved the taxpayers millions of additional dollars in Oklahoma County.