In August, the UJCVP completed a comprehensive project to upgrade and centralize our video surveillance system. Made possible by your generous contributions and a grant from the UJCVP Endowment, the project aimed at addressing security vulnerabilities by uniting all campus organizations under one shared server and upgrading to state-of-the-art IP cameras that offer enhanced picture quality, longer recording time and motion sensing capability. Additionally, the project expanded the coverage of cameras on the campus to eliminate gaps in coverage.

Last year, the UJCVP convened a conversation with Newport News Police Department (NNPD) Chief Steve Drew and his Command Team to review security needs of the Jewish community and areas of improvement in our security alignment with local law enforcement. One suggested area of improvement was for the UJCVP to formally partner with NNPD by integrating the FUSUS real-time video system into our surveillance system.

FUSUS is a camera integration platform that allows law enforcement to monitor video feeds from multiple public and privately-owned sources, in one place, all in real time. With FUSUS, in the event of an emergency, law enforcement could immediately access video footage and gain a rapid awareness of the situation inside. FUSUS keeps law enforcement officers and the communities they protect safer by enabling law enforcement to function more efficiently and with improved operational intelligence, by creating a common operating picture. By fusing public cameras like street and transit cams with private security cameras, FUSUS enables communities to collaborate to create safe zones that are secured and monitored. Police departments have the ability to keep an eye on parking facilities, external building cameras, and surrounding streets to keep community members safe.

The UJCVP is the first faith-based organization in Newport News to partner with the police department to integrate the FUSUS system.