A new armored surveillance truck is keeping watch 24/7 at the intersection of 3rd Avenue South and 35th Street South in St. Petersburg. The vehicle has 360 degree cameras keeping watch over the neighborhood.
The cameras start rolling when they detect any motion, and officers hope it will keep thieves from doing anything criminal.
The vehicle is a new crime-fighting tool to St. Petersburg, and will be moved to different neighborhoods around the city.
The Police Department is also reaching out to you on Facebook, Twitter and Next Door for help catching criminals...and it's working!
They estimate they've caught around 40 suspected thieves this year alone thanks to your tips.
Rick Shaw, community awareness officer for the police department, is the main man behind the witty Facebook posts. He says he tries to capture your attention with phrases like "fishing fraudster" for a man caught on surveillance stealing fishing poles and "clean getaway" for a man who dashed from a store with a basket of hygiene products. The catchy posts are working! Both men were identified thanks to Facebook users.
"It's been an invaluable tool for us, our detectives sometimes handle up to 100 cases each. If we can save them time by getting tips on Facebook, that helps all of us," he explained.
If you'd like to help St Pete Police catch crooks on Facebook, you can like their page here: https://www.facebook.com/StPetePD/.
----------------------------
STAY IN TOUCH WITH US ANYTIME, ANYWHERE
Download our free app for Apple and Android and Kindle devices.
Sign up for Breaking News email alerts.
WATCH | Latest ABC Action News Videos | WATCH | ABC Action News Live Stream
