Media, Pennsylvania: “Everybody’s Hometown” Builds a Safer, Smarter Community with Hanwha Vision

Tucked away in the heart of Delaware County is Media Borough, Pennsylvania. Though less than a square mile in size, the borough serves as both the county seat and a dynamic hub of business, government, and community life drawing thousands of visitors daily to its courthouse, restaurants, shops, and year-round events. For the Media Borough Police Department, this bustling environment brings opportunity but also a responsibility to keep residents, employees, and visitors safe.

“Media is a unique, vibrant town,” said John McCormick, Chief of Police, Media Borough Police Dept. “The county courthouse is here, everyone from Delaware County comes to Media. That’s why it’s called Everybody’s Hometown.

Modernizing Public Safety Infrastructure

For years, Media relied on an outdated surveillance system that struggled with reliability and clarity. The aging equipment frequently went offline during storms and offered limited image resolution, making it difficult for officers to identify suspects or respond quickly to incidents. Recognizing these limitations, borough leadership installed a new surveillance infrastructure powered by Hanwha Vision cameras and the Wisenet WAVE Video Management System (VMS).

The new system was designed and installed by Phoenix Systems, a local system integration partner with close ties to Media. The Phoenix team worked closely with the borough to expand and unify coverage across the downtown business district, major thoroughfares like Baltimore Avenue and State Street, and within the police department’s command center.

The installation combined existing coaxial connections and new single-mode fiber optic cabling, while leveraging wireless peer-to-peer links where traditional fiber was impractical due to trolley lines and high-voltage infrastructure.

Enhanced Visibility and Rapid Response

Since transitioning to Hanwha Vision and Wisenet WAVE, the Media Police Department has seen dramatic results. Officers now have access to live and recorded footage from their desktops and mobile devices, allowing them to coordinate responses in real time during incidents. When a theft or suspicious activity occurs, detectives can immediately view cameras around town and relay updates to officers on the ground. This instant communication has dramatically improved the department’s solvability rate.

The system also plays a crucial role during Media’s many public events, including its popular “Dining Under the Stars” summer series as well as parades and seasonal festivals, all drawing large crowds to downtown.

“All the restaurants come out into the streets,” McCormick said, “so you can imagine the amount of people that come to town for this event.”

Now, with centralized monitoring in the department’s dispatch area and secure remote access, officers can maintain situational awareness throughout the borough, ensuring safety without disrupting the town’s inviting atmosphere.

Aesthetics and Community Integration

A defining feature of the Media project was its focus on aesthetics. To preserve the town’s historic charm and pedestrian-friendly vibe, the police department and Phoenix Systems focused on color-matching camera housings and mounts to the town’s black light poles and fixtures. The goal was to integrate technology seamlessly into the streetscape, providing security without creating a sense of conspicuous surveillance.

This design choice reflects Media’s broader community-oriented approach of being transparent and mindful of residents’ comfort. The system’s presence is subtle, yet residents and business owners appreciate its impact, often asking police if incidents were captured on camera, confident that the system is there to protect them.

Beyond its core role in crime prevention, the Hanwha Vision system has proven invaluable for liability management. When the borough receives claims involving alleged falls or accidents, officials can review video evidence to verify events. Nearly every intersection in the downtown district is covered, enabling the borough to provide factual documentation to insurers, saving both time and taxpayer resources.

Phoenix Systems credits the borough’s success to Hanwha Vision’s flexibility and responsive support. The intuitive nature of the Wisenet WAVE VMS makes it easy for users, regardless of technical background, to operate. Officers have developed custom layouts within the platform for specific events, demonstrating their comfort with the system and its user-friendly design.

“Every technology you can have is in this system,” Burroughs said. “It’s all bridged within the Hanwha Vision WAVE platform. The next phase is leveraging the system they have to do something new. That’s the beauty of WAVE. It’s not just surveillance, it’s not just VMS, it’s more.”

Expanding Capabilities Through AI

With a robust surveillance foundation in place, the borough is now looking toward the next phase: integrating AI and analytics capabilities. Future plans include leveraging Hanwha Vision’s AI-powered tools to enable advanced searches, such as identifying individuals by clothing color or tracking specific vehicles across multiple cameras.

A Model for Municipal Security

Media’s network of Hanwha Vision cameras and Wisenet WAVE VMS serves as a model for how small municipalities can implement scalable, aesthetically conscious, and community-supported public safety systems. What began as a need for better video quality has evolved into a comprehensive security ecosystem that enhances transparency, operational efficiency, and quality of life for everyone in “Everybody’s Hometown.”

“Our camera system catches almost every intersection in our business district,” McCormick said. “It’s been priceless. It’s been paramount.”