Merrillville Town Council Greenlights $150,000 Investment to Bolster Police Department’s Crime-Fighting Capabilities
MERRILLVILLE — The Merrillville Town Council took a significant step toward enhancing public safety by approving a budget of up to $150,000 to equip the Merrillville Police Department with cutting-edge crime-fighting drones and accident reconstruction tools.
“It is very reassuring to know that the Merrillville Town Council understands our needs and supports us not only morally, but financially as well, in implementing programs like these,” Merrillville Police Chief Kosta Nuses said. “We’ve done a lot of research in the past few months regarding a drone program. We want to do it right so that it may benefit our Town and help keep our residents safe.”
The council allocated American Rescue Plan dollars to make up the budget for the new equipment, and this strategic investment underscores the Town’s commitment to leveraging technology to ensure the
well-being of its residents and enhance law enforcement capabilities.
The state-of-the-art drones the Merrillville Police Department will acquire are equipped with advanced surveillance and reconnaissance features. These drones will provide officers with versatile tools to monitor and respond to various situations, bolstering their ability to address criminal activities and other emergencies swiftly and efficiently.
“Here in Merrillville, we get a lot of calls for missing people, especially in the evening hours,” Nuses said. “Our drones will be equipped with thermal imaging cameras that can aid us in locating endangered people, especially in the dark wooded areas. Most importantly, they help reduce the danger factor because they can take the human confrontation factor out of the equation.”
In addition to the crime-fighting drones, a portion of the budget will be dedicated to procuring a Faro system, which is an advanced accident and crime scene reconstruction tool. The Faro system features a state-of-the-art camera and laser scanner unit that’s used to scan a scene.
“During the scan, it takes thousands of pictures at different angles,” Nuses said. “Once the scan is completed, it can generate a 3D image of the area being investigated with laser accurate measurements.”
He said Merrillville police have been dependent on other agencies to assist officers with serious or fatal accident reconstruction.
“This changes that for us,” Nuses said. “This Faro system can also be used at crime scenes. There’s no better evidence to portray the scene in a case than what this can provide.” He said the system can determine bullet trajectories when they’ve been fired through walls of structures.
“It’s a game changer,” Nuses said. “I believe we will be the first department in the area to have it.”
The Merrillville Town Council acknowledges the importance of staying at the forefront of
technological advancements in law enforcement to better serve the Town, and allocating ARP funds for these innovative tools reflects the council’s dedication to public safety.
“The approval of this budget is a testament to our commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of our community,” Town Council President Rick Bella said. “By investing in advanced technology for our police force, we are empowering them to respond effectively to evolving challenges and provide the highest level of service to our residents.”
Nuses didn’t hide his enthusiasm about the council’s decision to allocate funding to purchase the new technology. “To say I’m excited is an understatement,” he said. “Times have changed. Technology is being used to commit crimes and make them more difficult for us. These types of programs even out the playing field for our officers here at the Merrillville Police Department.”
