A local company has partnered with the maker of a police alert system to offer a new crime fighting technology to Baton Rouge businesses and industrial sites.
Open Eyes, a training, tech and consulting company owned by former Baton Rouge Police Chief Jeff LeDuff and his son, Kelly, is working with Illinois-based BluePoint Alert Solutions, the maker of wearable devices and blue boxes that, once activated, alert law enforcement and business owners about emergency scenarios like active shooters or suspicious persons.
The boxes look similar to fire alarms with pull levers. After the initial alert is received, law enforcement can notify building occupants about the emergency through a web-based system that sends out text messages with links to a map of the threat and video.
The technology is designed to increase accuracy, response times and communication among law enforcement officers responding to dangerous situations.
The system is wireless and allows for two-way communication. It can be tailored to a business’ needs, with costs dependent upon the number boxes installed in addition to the size of an employee pool, says Kelly LeDuff. Installation of a system with five boxes can cost anywhere between $5,000 and $10,000, while 20 to 30 boxes can range in price from $20,000 to $30,000.
BluePoint developed the technology, which was originally installed in schools, after the massive shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut. Kelly LeDuff says Open Eyes is the only authorized vendor to sell the product in Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Texas and Florida.
“My son and I truly believe that our technology is a difference maker during a critical incidents,” Chief LeDuff says in a statement.
A BluePoint rapid response system is currently installed at Cajun Industries and has won praise from Metro Councilwoman Tara Wicker, who’s now working with the LeDuffs to expand it to more local businesses.
“This is the most exciting, comprehensive and innovative crime fighting tool that I have ever seen,” Wicker says in a statement. “I truly believe this is an answer to the prayers of our community and the kind of advanced technology that can work hand-in-hand with law enforcement to keep our residents, businesses, schools, government buildings, and public spaces across all of Baton Rouge safe and secure.”
The technology will be on display at a free Lunch and Learn event for local business and industry representatives that is taking place from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday at the Renaissance Hotel on Bluebonnet Boulevard. Businesses must RSVP to attend the event by contacting Wicker’s office at 225-389-5140. The event will also include an announcement about a new crime fighting opportunity that will soon be available in Baton Rouge.
