MCCRACKEN COUNTY, Ky. — The McCracken County Property Assessment and Control Office is now collecting residential street photos using a 360-degree camera mounted on a vehicle called the InstaPro 360 Pro 2. According to Bill Dunn with McCracken PVA, the technology makes collecting photos quicker, cheaper and more accurate.
Before the technology was introduced, the McCracken County PVA had to individually photograph each home it wanted to assess. Dunn said it could take the office weeks to complete photos for a single neighborhood. With the technology, it takes about an hour, he said.
The device costs $5,500. Photo taken in Paducah on Aug. 22, 2024.
Carrie Stone
“Before, you couldn't necessarily do street-level photography. You'd have to go out and take pictures of every house yourself, which wasn't possible. With this system, we'll be able to capture an entire neighborhood in, say, an hour,” Dan said.
Previously, the agency had hired another company to take photos, which cost $83,000. This camera and its equipment cost just $5,500.
The device is mounted on top of an office vehicle, pictured here on Aug. 22, 2024 in Paducah.
Carrie Stone
“A few years ago we would have paid another company to do this work for us at considerable expense, but we realized we could save tens of thousands of dollars by mounting this camera on top of the car and doing the work ourselves,” Dan said.
Dan said that although it will be time consuming for the office, the new technology will be worth it.
The device is controlled by a tablet inside the vehicle. Photo taken in Paducah on August 22, 2024.
Carrie Stone
“Once we get the photos back to our office, we have to start the processing process and then upload them, so it takes a little bit of time on our end, but it's well worth the time,” Dan said.
Dan added that the device could also be useful for people who use aerial photography to evaluate properties.
“When our inspectors are reviewing their list of properties to inspect, they're also looking at Google Street View photos that we took a few days or weeks ago, and they're looking at those photos alongside the aerial photos to ensure that our property records are accurate,” Dunn said.
