To increase safety in the Federal Highway area, the City Commission approved the installation of an emergency telephone system that connects directly to the Hollywood Police Department communications center with the push of a button.
Major Joseph Healey, of the professional standards division of the Hollywood Police Department, said since the Federal Highway area contains many hotels, motels and foot traffic, a task force determined the area as a prime location for the new emergency system.
“The police department really pours a lot of resources into that small geographic area,” Healey said, adding that Police Chief Chad Wagner has assigned officers to only downtown patrol and recently added two additional squads to deal with street-level crimes. “The emergency phones will add more police presence in the area.”
The City enlisted Talk-a-Phone Co., a manufacturer of high-technology communication products, to install the phones in the area between Sheridan Street and Pembroke Road and Federal Highway and 21st Avenue. And while the phones are widely used at college and corporate campuses, parking facilities, hospitals and mass-transit locations, Hollywood will be one of the first to use it in a city environment, Healey said.
In addition, a video network will accompany the emergency phone system that will allow the Police Department to not only have video surveillance of the area at their station but also in their squad cars.
“The video network will give us additional eyes,” Healey said.
At the July 7 City Commission meeting, commissioners approved Modcomp Systems and Solutions to install the wireless network, and the company has already begun installation. Healey said they would like to have the emergency system running by December.
And while there has been talk of installing the system at other Hollywood locations, Healey said they want to test the pilot project first.
“The important thing to remember is that it’s for emergency uses only,” Healey stressed. “Anyone who feels threatened just has to push the button, and they will be connected with the police.”
