Nearly 1,200 cameras installed across Myrtle Beach to combat crime, help in emergencies

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WMBF) - Hundreds of cameras are set up throughout the city of Myrtle Beach to keep an eye out for crime.

Police said those cameras are helping them do more than track down criminals.

Back in 2019, WMBF News reported a grant helped Myrtle Beach police bring their camera count up to 899 city crimes. Now, the camera count has seen an increase and the total is close to 1,200.

The cameras are part of the department’s Real Time Crime Unit, which now has four members.

Real-Time Crime Analyst Bill Gregg said the cameras are crucial to their policing and making sure they can gather information before officers arrive at the scene.

“Every call for service that comes through from our dispatch, we attempt to look at it and see if there’s something we can do to assist the officer,” Gregg explained.

Officials said these cameras help them solve any kind of crime, ranging from shoplifting to homicides. At the same time, the cameras help officers respond to any emergency situation like a seizure or overdose.

“It helps in any kind of case from a runaway to a homicide case. All cases in between,” said Real-Time Crime Analyst Bill Gregg.

Police added the cameras have helped solve 30 homicides.

Not only can officers watch the cameras from the police department, but they can also check in on their laptops while on a call, or even their cellphones.

The cameras are placed in public spaces across the city and can capture four different angles of an area.

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