SPANISH FORT, Alabama (WALA) – Fortifying the Fort allows the Spanish Fort Police Department to access surveillance cameras from participating businesses and organizations. The public-private partnership was launched in March and is already making a difference.

Last weekend, a masked suspect broke into Papa John’s gas station on Highway 31. Here, he forces the doors open before running to the cash register and emptying the drawer. Spanish Fort Police Chief John Barber thanks the partnership they have with the store. The investigation began a few hours later.

“It’s always a situation where we need a video and only a few people have access to it,” Barber said. We are therefore still waiting for this video to help us start our investigation. In Papa John’s case, we already had access. They were part of Fortify the Fort. So we were able to start accessing the video at that time on Saturday morning. “

Fortify the Fort isn’t just about providing live remote access. Participants can also allow police to access the system’s DVR if an owner or manager is not present at the time. According to Chief Barber, something can make all the difference in solving current crimes and preventing future ones.

“Once they get active, they stay active,” Barber said. “They are committing more crimes, so trying to solve a crime immediately is a priority for us.”

So far, Fortify the Fort has dozens of partnerships through Spanish Fort. As the program grows, Chief Barber is confident he will help officers make the community safer.

“My officers can only be there in certain parts of town at one point,” Barber said. So the more we engage the community in helping us prevent and solve crime, I think the safer the community as a whole. . “

Chief Barber also said they had discussed with the Baldwin County School Board the inclusion of the four Fortify the Fort public schools. If you would like more information on how to register, you can contact the Spanish Fort Police Department at 251-626-4914.