Phoenix Police Department gets new crime-fighting tool

The Phoenix Police Department kicked off the Virtual Block Watch as a pilot program about a year ago, and thanks to its success rate, it's now permanent.

"I'd like to present this..." David Kimmerle said.

Kimmerle, who's president of Sanderson Ford in Glendale, handed over the keys of a very special Ford Explorer to Detective Justin Martin, who heads the Virtual Block Watch program.

"It's just a leading-edge technology using everyone's cameras, their private cameras, that may help them do something to get the bad guy," Kimmerle said.

Det. Martin says the program will allow investigators to watch video, like this taken from home surveillance cameras, that means the bad guy will probably get caught a lot faster.

The new vehicle will be a moving billboard to let Valley residents know they can help police help them.

"The feedback that I'm getting from these meetings and the community is remarkable, everybody loves this program," Det. Martin said.

The average American citizen can be caught on camera more than 75 times a day, that includes the bad guys and that's why Kimmerle says he wants to help.

"We're involved (in) this especially because it enhances their ability to stop crime, keep our community and our kids safe," he said.

The Ford Explorer donated by Sanderson Ford officially went on patrol with the Phoenix Police Department today.

Phoenix Police Virtual Block Watch
https://www.phoenix.gov/police/virtualblockwatch