Milestone Systems is helping Columbia Borough in Pennsylvania to strengthen public safety through a community-wide video security system built on Milestone XProtect VMS.
For more than 16 years, Columbia has worked with Lancaster-area security integrator App-Techs to develop and expand a distributed wireless video network serving its downtown, public buildings, parks and other borough facilities.
Today, the system supports roughly 83 camera feeds, including 4K multi-lens and PTZ cameras, primarily from iPro.
Located along the Susquehanna River in Lancaster County, Columbia is a historic borough of roughly 10,000 residents.
As the community worked to revitalize its downtown and attract new businesses, borough leaders wanted safety and security to support that broader effort.
Traditional wired infrastructure was impractical across Columbia’s geographically varied environment, requiring App-Techs to engineer a distributed wireless architecture.
XProtect provides the video management foundation, with dedicated servers located in the municipal building and a remote park office.
Officers can also access live camera feeds from laptops in patrol vehicles, while mobile access extends video to personnel during community events.
Columbia’s dispatchers are the primary day-to-day operators of XProtect, monitoring cameras and supporting officers in the field.
In one incident, a dispatcher spotted someone breaking into a vending machine outside a laundromat and immediately dispatched officers.
“Our staff member observed someone breaking into a vending machine just outside that building and was able to dispatch officers to the scene,” said Jack Brommer, Columbia Borough Police Department Chief.
“Officers apprehended the individual, and it turns 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’s just the kind of impact this technology can have on a community.”
The system also supports holding cells and interview rooms inside the police station, where microphones are integrated with cameras, as well as large community events.
Over time, Columbia’s video system has supported faster incident response, stronger evidence for prosecution and greater situational awareness for dispatchers and police officers.
Borough leaders also use signage in parks and public areas to make camera coverage visible as a deterrent.
“The data that 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,” added Brommer.
Looking ahead, Columbia plans to expand its use of video analytics, including object-search capabilities that can help investigators filter video by vehicle type, color and other attributes.
The borough is also exploring emerging gunshot-detection technologies to further improve situational awareness.