ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Following the violent abduction and sexual assault of a hospital employee more than a year ago, Mission Hospital in Asheville has upgraded its security systems. By the end of 2007, it will have spent $1.1 million to install over 160 cameras and almost 70 emergency phones.
The cameras will store data digitally for up to 30 days, and are already in place in emergency rooms and near entrances and loadings docks. The hospital has nine police officers working per shift, in addition to security guards who monitor entrances and the parking lot.
Mission has also distributed more than 3,000 personal alarm devices to its staff, and visitors who arrive between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. are given a pass to help keep track of who is on the premises. The hospital hopes these new measures will help prevent illegal activity, from the horrific crime a year ago to trespassing and auto theft.
