NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. – A massive new surveillance and public safety project is moving forward in North Charleston, where officials plan to install more than 800 cameras citywide as part of the police department’s new Joint Operations Center.
$1.5 Million Contract Approved
North Charleston City Council has approved a contract of up to $1.5 million with Robbins Construction Group, a local company, to design the operations center inside the city’s new evidence building off Casper Padgett Way.
Plans call for 4,242 square feet of interior space to be renovated into offices and a control center, which will feature 16 workstations staffed around the clock.
Boosting Police Response
Patrolman First Class Jason Piper says the new system will dramatically speed up investigations:
“What used to maybe take us a week to figure out is now taking us hours. That allows more officers to be on the street doing their day-to-day jobs… making the community safer.”
The department is already using a temporary monitoring station, connected to more than 700 cameras, through a real-time crime center platform called Fusus.
Where the Cameras Are Going
Cameras are being placed at major roadways and high-crime areas, including:
Rivers Avenue
Dorchester Road
Palmetto Commerce Parkway
Ashley Phosphate Road
In addition, the department can access feeds from volunteer resident and business cameras. Since 2022, more than 100 new camera sites have been installed, each with multiple cameras and 24 license plate readers. Another 34 sites are in progress through a partnership with Dominion Energy.
Concerns Over Privacy
Not everyone is supportive of the expansion. Community advocates, including Paul Bowers of the ACLU, have raised concerns about the impact of mass surveillance on civil liberties, particularly regarding automatic license plate readers (ALPRs).
“ALPRs are used to track your movements. Federal agencies like ICE have been openly using and abusing them this year,” Bowers said. “If we’re going to have this kind of power, it needs to be closely, closely controlled.”
Police Response to Concerns
Investigations Lt. Lucas Cummins emphasized that all personnel must follow strict guidelines:
Operators must be NCIC certified
They must follow FBI and Fusus regulations
Surveillance access is monitored to prevent personal or political misuse
Project Timeline
The Joint Operations Center is expected to be completed by mid-2026, giving North Charleston one of the largest integrated surveillance systems in the state.
