{"id":293703,"date":"2026-09-25T12:48:15","date_gmt":"2026-09-25T12:48:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/293703\/"},"modified":"2026-09-25T12:48:15","modified_gmt":"2026-09-25T12:48:15","slug":"how-columbia-pennsylvania-uses-video-technology-to-improve-public-safety","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/293703\/","title":{"rendered":"How Columbia, Pennsylvania, uses video technology to improve public safety"},"content":{"rendered":"

Content provided by Milestone Systems<\/a><\/p>\n

For more than 16 years, Columbia Borough, Pennsylvania, has relied on Milestone<\/a>\u2019s open platform video technology to strengthen public safety, improve incident response and build a scalable security system that continues to evolve alongside the community.<\/p>\n

Columbia sits along the east bank of the Susquehanna River in Lancaster County, a compact, historic borough of roughly 10,000 people with a tight-knit community spirit. For years, Columbia had been working to reinvent itself: planting trees, revitalizing its downtown, drawing businesses back to Main Street. When borough leaders decided that safety and security needed to support that mission, they turned to open-platform video technology and a local integrator who would become a long-term partner in keeping the community safe.<\/p>\n

Challenge: Securing a dispersed urban community<\/p>\n

Columbia Borough needed a reliable, scalable video security system to protect its downtown, public buildings, parks and outlying facilities across a geographically varied landscape with a fairly complex infrastructure path connecting them. Traditional wired approaches were impractical, and early wireless plans hit obstacles that required a full architectural rethink. The borough also needed a system officers and dispatchers could operate without specialized technical training and that could grow alongside the community\u2019s evolving security needs.<\/p>\n

Solution: A wireless open-platform video network<\/p>\n

Working with App-Techs<\/a>, a Lancaster-area security integrator, Columbia deployed a citywide video security system built on Milestone Systems XProtect open-platform video management software. Using Milestone\u2019s open platform XProtect VMS<\/a> as the foundation, App-Techs engineered a distributed wireless network reaching municipal facilities, parks and borough properties across the community, supporting roughly 83 camera feeds with a mix of 4K multi-lens and PTZ cameras, primarily from iPro<\/a>. All recording and management data runs on dedicated servers housed in the municipal building and a remote park office, with mobile and in-vehicle access extending the system to officers in the field.<\/p>\n

Result: Faster response, stronger cases, safer streets<\/p>\n

Over the years, Columbia\u2019s video security system has supported faster incident response, real-time dispatcher awareness and stronger evidence for criminal prosecution. Crime call volume has trended downward for 5\u20136 consecutive years. The system has helped close cases and serve as a visible deterrent, which borough leaders reinforce with public signage. Dispatchers and police officers rely on the system daily, and the platform continues to expand as Columbia\u2019s safety and security needs evolve.<\/p>\n

Eyes on the street<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Milestone<\/p>\n

Over the years, Columbia\u2019s video security system has supported faster incident response, real-time dispatcher awareness and stronger evidence for criminal prosecution. <\/p>\n

Columbia\u2019s dispatchers are the day-to-day operators of the XProtect system, monitoring cameras, responding to alerts and supporting officers in the field. The interface is designed to be accessible for users who aren\u2019t security technologists, and that accessibility has paid off more than once.<\/p>\n

Police Chief Jack Brommer recalls one case that illustrated the system\u2019s value. A dispatcher monitoring a camera spotted someone breaking into a vending machine outside a laundromat in real time.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur staff member observed someone breaking into a vending machine just outside that building and was able to dispatch officers to the scene,\u201d Brommer recalled. \u201cOfficers apprehended the individual, and it turned out this was a serial thief who had been breaking into vending machines across the tri-county area. So that single arrest helped resolve a number of thefts across multiple counties. That\u2019s just the kind of impact this technology can have on a community.\u201d<\/p>\n

Inside the police station, the XProtect deployment extends to holding cells and interview rooms, where microphones are integrated alongside cameras. Officers can toggle audio recording on or off via a switch outside each room; audio and video are captured together in XProtect when active.<\/p>\n

Officers can also access the system from patrol vehicles; each car is equipped with a laptop connected to the network, allowing them to pull up live camera feeds while in the field. During community events, the borough uses the XProtect mobile web interface to extend camera access to event staff and security personnel via phones and laptops.<\/p>\n

The system\u2019s value extends to large public events as well. When Columbia hosted \u201cThunder on the River,\u201d its annual antique car show, drawing thousands of enthusiasts and more than 500 vehicles, the borough\u2019s emergency management team worked alongside police to coordinate safety operations. Using the XProtect platform, EMA personnel monitored the community camera network in real time, supporting both proactive detection efforts and rapid response across the event footprint.<\/p>\n

A trend in the right direction<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Milestone<\/p>\n

The department is planning to expand its use of video analytics, including object search capabilities that let investigators filter video by vehicle type, color and other attributes.<\/p>\n

Brommer is measured about drawing direct lines between the video security system and crime statistics, but what he can point to is consistent and encouraging.<\/p>\n

Deterrence is part of the equation. The borough has begun posting signage in parks and public areas alerting residents and visitors that cameras are in operation. Brommer believes visibility matters, noting that if they commit a crime, there\u2019s a high likelihood they\u2019re going to be either detected or caught later because of the video cameras.<\/p>\n

Looking ahead, the department is planning to expand its use of video analytics, including object search capabilities that let investigators filter video by vehicle type, color and other attributes. The borough is also exploring emerging gunshot-detection technologies to further improve situational awareness.<\/p>\n

\u201cI do feel that the system has had a positive impact from a crime standpoint,\u201d Brommer said. \u201cThe data I can point to is that we are trending downward, probably for the last five, six years, as far as call volume and crime trends. Those numbers have been very positive.\u201d<\/p>\n

Built on partnership<\/p>\n

Over more than 16 years, Columbia Borough has demonstrated how an open-platform approach can help small communities build a safer, more connected environment. By combining trusted partnerships with scalable technology, the borough has equipped officers with better tools, improved operational and situational awareness, and established a strong foundation for future growth.<\/p>\n

\u201cI probably would not have anticipated the positive impact that technology has had on our profession,\u201d Brommer said. \u201cNot only is it a deterrent, but our officers have a valuable tool, whether it\u2019s the community cameras or the analytics, to help them accomplish their duties through the course of an investigation. Plus, I can call [App-Techs President] Dan Fritsch on a Sunday afternoon, and he\u2019ll pick up the phone. I consider them a close partner, and we can\u2019t thank them enough for everything they\u2019ve done for the community.\u201d<\/p>\n

For more information, contact Milestone Systems<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Content provided by Milestone Systems For more than 16 years, Columbia Borough, Pennsylvania, has relied on Milestone\u2019s open…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":293704,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[28,30,29],"class_list":["post-293703","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-pennsylvania","tag-pennsylvania","tag-pennsylvania-headlines","tag-pennsylvania-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/293703","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=293703"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/293703\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/293704"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=293703"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=293703"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=293703"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}