HIGH POINT, N.C. — High Point's Police Chief said Monday he wants to put more eyes on fighting crime.
Chief Travis Stroud proposed buying surveillance cameras to install around the city. It was one of several ideas he mentioned during a meeting with the Oakview Citizens Council, a local community group.
Stroud said some types of crime are down around the city but homicides remain high.
He specifically mentioned a deadly shooting outside a Walmart last month. He said he'd like to take steps to prevent incidents like these, but staffing is a major hurdle.
"Right now, I can see that we're running from call to call to call leaving very little time to actually be proactive," Stroud said. "I want them out their patrolling for crime, looking for crime. That's how you actually make a difference."
Chief Stroud hopes surveillance cameras can help with this. He also wants a Real-Time Crime Center. It would be a smaller version of what Winston-Salem and Forsyth County use to monitor their city cameras.
"The more cameras we get is almost like the more bodies you get. It is a force multiplier for us," Stroud said.
Chief Stroud said the new High Point Police building has space for a Real-Time Crime Center but getting it up and running, as well as installing the cameras will take time, money and more people.
He also lined up three ideas to improve school safety and early as this fall.
First, he wants to make a more visible police presence at schools, particularly elementary schools which do not have school resource officers.
Second, he wants to hold a school safety training drill for his officers. Third, he hopes to offer active shooter training to school staff.
"We're getting ready to offer to all of our schools inside the City of High Point from elementary to high school, even the private ones will get the chance to come in your with teachers before school starts and we will train you," Stroud said.
He said he is still talking to Guilford County Schools about whether such a training program would be possible.