Hagerstown Police's Watch Center assists residents, officers on the street

Julie E. Greene, The Herald-Mail
·3 min read

Hagerstown Police recently expanded the hours of its Watch Center, a downtown Hagerstown office in which civilian employees monitor surveillance cameras to assist residents and police officers.

The topic of the Watch Center came up during the mayor and City Council's State of the City address on Tuesday at The Maryland Theatre.

During the video presentation, it was noted that about 35% of calls for police service are handled by the Watch Center.

Hagerstown Police Chief Paul Kifer, in a phone interview, said the Watch Center is one of the ways Hagerstown Police does its job during a time when it's difficult to recruit and retain officers. Center employees help free officers for calls they are needed on the most.

Ben Ros, supervisor at Hagerstown Police Department's Watch Center, scans live footage from 36 of the surveillance cameras along city streets on March 5, 2024. Ros, who speaks Spanish, also can translate for patrol officers, speaking to them through their bodycams.
Ben Ros, supervisor at Hagerstown Police Department's Watch Center, scans live footage from 36 of the surveillance cameras along city streets on March 5, 2024. Ros, who speaks Spanish, also can translate for patrol officers, speaking to them through their bodycams.

The Watch Center, in the Elizabeth Hager Center in downtown Hagerstown, opened in April 2020 with light-duty officers, officers who were on desk duty while recuperating from injury, police officials said.

Center employees monitor live surveillance footage and assist on 911 calls that don't necessitate a patrol officer responding in person, they said. The center was staffed with civilians about two years ago and, about two months ago, expanded its hours to 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Previously, the center opened at 10 a.m.

The types of calls the center handles include lost property and "service to advise" situations, Kifer said. If someone arrives home to find their porch furniture was stolen, that call could go to the Watch Center. But if someone arrives to signs of a burglary in the home, police would respond to clear the house and possibly process the scene.

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Watch Center Supervisor Ben Ros said the civilian staff also assists officers on calls. As a supervisor, Ros said, he can access an officer's body cam footage live so if an officer is respondin,g alone to a call, that officer still has someone watching in case backup is needed. He gave a recent example of an officer and a man ending up in a fight. Ros said he could see what was happening, so he called for backup for the officer.

Center employees also can quickly help officers responding to vehicular crashes visible via the camera system. That includes going back in video footage to let the officer know what happened and saving the officer a copy of the incident.

HPD hiring part-time officers, exploring crime center concept

Staci Arch, a civilian Watch Center officer with Hagerstown Police, keeps an eye on some of the live footage from city surveillance cameras on March 5, 2024. The map on the left identifies where the city has surveillance cameras.
Staci Arch, a civilian Watch Center officer with Hagerstown Police, keeps an eye on some of the live footage from city surveillance cameras on March 5, 2024. The map on the left identifies where the city has surveillance cameras.

Kifer said the police department received approval to hire some part-time officers to handle special assignments. As an example of a potential special assignment, he cited when there were issues last spring with vandalism at the skatepark. Those part-time officers could likely be retired officers who are still certified as sworn officers by the state.

Hagerstown Police officials also plan to visit crime centers in the region with an eye toward opening one in the police headquarters off Burhans Boulevard. Kifer said that could involve moving the Watch Center to police headquarters and possibly creating a drone landing platform so drones can be launched from the building to aid with police response.

Several officers are trained to operate drones and have them in their patrol vehicles. Drones are used to help find missing people, for surveillance of drug dealing and other incidents such as following four-wheelers and dirt bikes being illegally driven around the city.

The Hagerstown Police Department headquarters on Burhans Boulevard.
The Hagerstown Police Department headquarters on Burhans Boulevard.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Hagerstown Police Watch Center monitors surveillance cameras