We are working towards a community-funded and operated Digital Neighborhood Watch in Ferguson as part of the On Watch program. Video captured by commercial and residential security systems has become an important tool in helping police solve crimes. Our goal is to piece together a network of video security cameras in every neighborhood in Ferguson. The video cameras won’t stop a crime when it’s oc
curring, but if they capture a face or license plate it can give the police a far better chance of identifying the culprits as they investigate. There are lots of different ways for residents to participate:
* Register your existing video security system. If you have a security system with exterior facing video and would be willing to share video with the police, we are asking you to send us an email so we can add your contact information to a registry that will be shared with the Police. We need your address, the street or intersection your system captures and if you also have other outside views, such as your backyard.
* Buy a video camera and point it at your street. Any high resolution exterior video camera will work, with the video captured either on your home computer or in Cloud Storage on the Internet. Several homeowners could work together to buy one camera for their street. Video storage on your home computer is free; video storage on the Internet can cost $100 to $200 per year.
* Help us select one IP video camera that we can recommend. There are lots of camera and storage options out there. If we can do the research to come up with a recommended camera and storage plan it will make it easier for residents to buy a camera and participate in the digital neighborhood watch program.
* Help install video cameras. For a lot of our residents, setting up the video camera and storage will be a technology challenge. It would be great if we had a few tech savvy residents that could volunteer their time to install cameras for those that need help.
* Help review footage. Actually using the video to help the police will require some work – someone will have to review footage to see if it has captured a car or license plate. If residents do not have time to review their video footage, volunteers could help (with the owner’s permission, of course). We would like to build a list of volunteers that are willing to review video so the police don’t have to do so.
* Evaluate Project NOLA. Based in New Orleans, Project NOLA is a community funded video surveillance network with over 1600 cameras throughout the City. Project NOLA, a not for profit, works with communities like Ferguson to help them create and even operate a video surveillance network for their community. http://projectnola.org
We can help keep Ferguson safe. Ferguson is going in the right direction, but it’s going to take some time to rebuild our police force. A digital neighborhood watch program can be an important tool for police, helping their efforts to keep Ferguson safe.
