DETROIT, MI — Big brothers can come in handy sometimes.

The Wayne State University Police Department has one of the most extensive video surveillance systems in southeast Michigan with nearly 850 cameras, including hi-def cameras that can see for miles.

"Anywhere on campus, if you look up, I can see you," says Wayne State University Police Chief Anthony Holt from the department's dispatch room that more closely resembles a NASA space shuttle command center. "I can zoom in pretty good.

"Can you zoom in on something, Darryll," Holt asks one of his dispatchers, and a camera atop an billboard along the Lodge Freeway near West Warren closes in on a man wearing a plaid burgundy shirt and blue jeans while clutching a stack of white paper and holding a navy umbrella.

Poll: Do you support WSU surveillance program

Darryll Grice, a 15-year civilian communications center coordinator, pans the shot left revealing a crisp image of a license plate on a white sedan.

Chris Demos, the department's technical guru, says dispatchers are able to take screen capture images of license plates or suspects and email them instantaneously to the on-board computers of patrol officers.

The system, which stores video for up to 30 days, has been used record police chases and convict suspects of breaking and entering, assault and other crimes, not to mention the illicit behavior they may have proactively head off. Holt says dispatchers closely monitor cameras in high-crime areas and tip officers of suspicious individuals.

Holt tells the story of a Detroit Police Department dispatch to the vast abandoned Detroit train station in Corktown where a suicidal man was about to jump.

"They said someone was on top of the old Michigan Depot, but Detroit couldn't find him when they sent a car over there," Holt said. "So we zoomed in with out camera and we told them exactly where he was."

Police and fire crews rescued the man before he took the leap.

If someone were to hold their ID up at the entrance of the MGM Grand Casino, Holt says he could read their name.

Inside Wayne State University Police Department's surveillance control room. Police officers monitor HD cameras around campus and Midtown for any sign of crime Thursday, Oct. 17. (Tanya Moutzalias | MLive.com)

"Once we get the money, we want to put face recognition in," says Holt. "I just don't have the money right now. The software is like $60,000, $70,000."

The department invested over $3 million in the current system and cameras.

The 850 cameras include those atop traffic lights, buildings, light poles and in dorms, parking structures and recreations centers.

Nearly 380 are outdoors; many of those are stationary and not able to be controlled by dispatchers. Tha

t figure doesn't include 20-plus Detroit Police Department cameras Holt is receiving feeds from.

"Detroit got those cameras for the (2006) Superbowl" using a grant, Holt said. "There was never a plan to use them after that."

The cameras were sitting idle, and with the Detroit Police Department's blessing, Holt had the feeds and control of the cameras diverted into his dispatch center.

"We do a lot of service, not just crime fighting," Holt said.

The department offers what they call"safe walks." If students want an extra level of protection, for example if they have several blocks to walk at night to their vehicle,

Inside Wayne State University Police Department's surveillance control room. Police officers monitor HD cameras around campus and Midtown for any sign of crime Thursday, Oct. 17. (Tanya Moutzalias | MLive.com)

they may contact the department. Dispatchers will then alert a patrol vehicle to head into the area and watch them on overhead surveillance cameras while they head to their destination.

"There is a privacy issue; we can not look into a dorm window," Holt said.

Grice zooms in on an apartment building to exhibit that all of the windows are darkened.