The State College Police Department is getting its first opportunity to use the Beaver Canyon surveillance cameras as a way to identify suspects in a burglary case.

Between 3:42 and 6:20 a.m. yesterday, a Plexiglas door at Canyon Pizza, 260 E. Beaver Ave., was smashed, and an undisclosed amount of cash was stolen, State College Police Sgt. Mark Argiro said.

Argiro added that one of the three surveillance cameras was focused in the direction of the incident.

"That's the first burglary in that area that we're going to use the cameras for, to my knowledge," he said.

The images could be reviewed within two days, Argiro said.

He added that there are currently no suspects in the case.

In addition to the cash stolen last night, some items inside Canyon Pizza were tampered with, Argiro said.

"This is something that if we're going to find the person, it doesn't matter if we get those images tomorrow or two days from now," Argiro said.

But, he said, there is no guarantee that the images will show a clear enough image for police to identify a suspect.

"I could not tell you when, if we're going to have any information," Argiro said.

After a great deal of controversy, the three cameras were installed in September 2003 at the intersections of Beaver Avenue and McAllister Street, Beaver Avenue and Hiester Street, and Beaver Avenue and Locust Lane.

The State College Borough Council voted in December to keep two cameras in Beaver Canyon and move one to Calder Way, although it will not move until the council approves funding.

State College Police Chief Tom King said he hopes the camera will be moved by March.

The cameras initially cost $24,409 and an annual maintenance agreement to keep the cameras for 2005 will cost the borough $2,500.

Although this is the first time police will use the cameras to identify suspects of a burglary, the cameras have been used in other incidents in the downtown area since their installation in 2003.

Argiro said the cameras were used after a window was broken at the Centre County Democrats' office, 236 E. Calder Way, on Sept. 1.

Three witnesses standing near the office said they saw three white men flee the scene in an older-model white Ford Tempo.

However, in that case, the cameras could not help identify suspects.

The Beaver Canyon cameras have also been used to identify suspects in several street fights, Argiro said.