WTOC, Savannah, Georgia, news, weather and sports | Good cameras help nab robber, police say
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STATESBORO, GA (WTOC) - Customers who walk into a Clyde's Market or similar stores may think they see as many video cameras as they do jumbo drinks. Scott Lynn handles the surveillance systems for all 42 Clyde's stores. He was thankful police arrested someone after an armed robbery spree Friday night.
"Just knowing whoever put a clerk through such a traumatic experience is behind bars makes it worth every penny," Lynn explained.
Cameras at Store #74 on U.S. Highway 301 North recorded two men walking in and pulling a gun on the clerk Friday night. Similar videos show the same pair robbing the company's store in Brooklet and two other stores in Bulloch County that same night.
"We were fortunate that all of them were equipped with good surveillance systems and we were able to see their faces clearly, especially one of them," noted Captain Todd Hutchens of the Bulloch County Sheriff's Office.
The footage on THE News at 6:00 Monday night was clear enough that Claxton Police recognized one man, Tommy Lee King, from an arrest on a armed robbery that very afternoon. Lt. Barry Barnard said even the footage of the Claxton robbery was better than much of what he sees. He said the old saying is true, you get what you pay for.
"If you spend $150 on a video system, you've got a $150 video system. You spend $1,000, you've got a much better system," Barnard said.
He said the old rule of thumb was the footage was no good if a thumb covered the person's face on a screen. But Barnard said newer, high-resolution cameras changed that to give sharper images. With lesser quality, chances of identfying and catching crooks go down.
"A lot of times you get black male or white male, six feet tall and 160 pounds. You just described half the population of America," Barnard stated.
Lynn said Clyde's spends roughly $2,000 per store on cameras and computer-based recorders. He explained most of the time the visible cameras deter such robberies, as well as shop lifting or employee thefts. But when it happens, he's glad they have what they need to help catch their man.
Statesboro police and Bulloch County Sheriff's deputies continue to search for the second man in the video as well as a get away driver. If you know anything about the case, call police at 912.764.9911 or sheriff's deputies at 912.764.8888.
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