Crooks and criminals beware. The West Frankfort Police Department is watching you.
According to West Frankfort Chief of Police Jeff Tharp, officers in his department have been putting criminals behind bars at a more prolific rate thanks in part to the utilization of video surveillance at businesses throughout the community.
"Video surveillance is beneficial as an investigative tool because it acts as an eye witness to crimes that otherwise could possibly lack evidence," said Tharp. "About 90 percent of businesses in West Frankfort have some sort of video surveillance and our department has worked with most of them, taking samples of recordings to use as evidence."
Tharp said the WFPD recently used surveillance to nab a perpetrator who walked into CVS on West Main Street and allegedly attempted to walk out with two packages of beer without paying. Tharp said the store's video easily identified Theresa J. Scutchfield as the accused and allowed officers to charge her with felony burglary due to the whole rundown of events being captured on tape.
In another unrelated incident, surveillance was used to identify Samantha L. McClure as the alleged perpetrator in several cases of unlawful use of a credit card at businesses around West Frankfort.
For more on the WFPD's use of video surveillance, pick up a print copy of the Wednesday edition of the Daily American.
