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Borough of Columbia, PA - 16 Years of Partnership
September 22 2026
Keeping Columbia Borough Safe, Year After Year
This article is a reprint of the case story written by Milestone, published on the Milestone website and covered in Police 1.
For more than 16 years, Columbia Borough, Pennsylvania, has relied on Milestone’s open platform video technology to strengthen public safety, improve incident response, and build a scalable security system that continues to evolve alongside the community.
Columbia, PA, sits along the east bank of the Susquehanna River in Lancaster County, a compact, historic borough of roughly 10,000 people with a tight-knit community spirit. For years, Columbia had been working to reinvent itself: planting trees, revitalizing its downtown, drawing businesses back to Main Street. When borough leaders decided that safety and security needed to support that mission, they turned to open-platform video technology and a local integrator who would become a long-term partner in keeping the community safe.
 Customer
Columbia Borough |
 Location
Columbia, Pennsylvania |
 Milestone technology
XProtect®
VMS video management software |
 Devices
83 cameras |
 Integrations
Health Utility Monitor (HUM), DeviceMap (Dmap), Bridge to XProtect (BTX)
|
Challenge: Securing a dispersed urban community
Columbia Borough needed a reliable, scalable video security system to protect its downtown, public buildings, parks and outlying facilities across a geographically varied landscape with a complex infrastructure path connecting them. Traditional wired approaches were impractical, and early wireless plans encountered obstacles that required a full architectural rethink. The borough also needed a system that officers and dispatchers could operate without specialized technical training and that could grow alongside the community’s evolving security needs.
Solution: A wireless open platform video network
Working with App-Techs, a Lancaster-area security integrator, Columbia deployed a borough-wide video security system built on Milestone Systems XProtect open platform video management software. App-Techs engineered a distributed wireless network reaching municipal facilities, parks and borough properties across the community, supporting roughly 83 camera feeds with a mix of 4K multi-lens and PTZ cameras, primarily from iPro. Recording and management data runs on dedicated servers housed in the municipal building and a remote park office, while mobile and in-vehicle access extends the system to officers in the field.
Results: Faster response, stronger cases, safer streets
Over the years, Columbia’s video security system has supported faster incident response, real-time dispatcher awareness and stronger evidence for criminal prosecution. Crime call volume has trended downward for five to six consecutive years. The system has helped close cases and serves as a visible deterrent, reinforced by public signage. Dispatchers and police officers rely on the system daily, and the platform continues to expand as Columbia’s safety and security needs evolve.
Eyes on the Street
Columbia’s dispatchers are the day-to-day operators of the XProtect system, monitoring cameras, responding to alerts, and supporting officers in the field. The interface is designed to be accessible for users who aren’t security technologists, and that accessibility has paid off more than once.
Chief Brommer recalls one case that illustrates the system’s value. A dispatcher monitoring a camera spotted someone breaking into a vending machine outside a laundromat in real time. Inside the police station, the XProtect deployment extends to holding cells and interview rooms, where microphones are integrated alongside cameras. Officers can toggle audio recording on or off via a switch outside each room; audio and video are captured together in XProtect when active.
"Our staff member observed someone breaking into a vending machine just outside that building and was able to dispatch officers to the scene. Officers apprehended the individual, and it turns out this was a serial thief who had been breaking into vending machines across the tri-county area. So that single arrest helped resolve a number of thefts across multiple counties. That’s just the kind of impact this technology can have on a community.”
Officers can also access the system from patrol vehicles; each car is equipped with a laptop connected to the network, allowing them to pull up live camera feeds while in the field. During community events, the borough uses the XProtect mobile web interface to extend camera access to event staff and security personnel via phones and laptops.
The system’s value extends to large public events as well. When Columbia hosted “Thunder on the River,” its annual antique car show drawing thousands of enthusiasts and more than 500 vehicles, the borough’s Emergency Management team worked alongside police to coordinate safety operations. Using the XProtect platform, EMA personnel monitored the community camera network in real time, supporting both proactive detection efforts and rapid response across the event footprint.
A Trend in the Right Direction
Chief Brommer is measured about drawing direct lines between the video security system and crime statistics, but what he can point to is consistent and encouraging.
Deterrence is part of the equation. The borough has begun posting signage in parks and public areas alerting residents and visitors that cameras are in operation. Brommer believes visibility matters, noting that if they commit a crime, there’s a high likelihood they’re going to be either detected or caught later because of the video cameras.
"I do feel that the system has had a positive impact from a crime standpoint. The data that I can point to is that we are trending downward, probably for the last five, six years, as far as call volume and crime trends. Those numbers have been very positive."
Looking ahead, the department is planning to expand its use of video analytics, including object search capabilities that let investigators filter video by vehicle type, color, and other attributes. License plate recognition is also on the chief’s priority list for key locations around the borough. Columbia is exploring additional capabilities, including emerging gunshot detection technologies to further enhance situational awareness.
Built on Partnership
Over more than 16 years, Columbia Borough has demonstrated how an open platform approach can help small communities build a safer, more connected environment. By combining trusted partnerships with scalable technology, the borough has equipped officers with better tools, improved operational and situational awareness, and established a strong foundation for future growth.
"I probably would not have anticipated the positive impact that technology has had on our profession. Not only is it a deterrent, but our officers have a valuable tool, whether it’s the community cameras or the analytics, to help them accomplish their duties through the course of an investigation,” Brommer said. “Plus, I can call Dan Fritsch on a Sunday afternoon, and he’ll pick up the phone. I consider them a close partner, and we can’t thank them enough for everything they’ve done for the community."
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