The cameras allow officers to watch what's happening on the streets in real time. See how it works.
DURHAM – Police in Durham have a new set of eyes to help fight crime. They've installed 13 surveillance cameras across the city, part of a six-month pilot program focused on northeast-central Durham. Police said they want to crack down on the crimes in the area, especially prostitution and drug dealing.
Joe Moylan, director of the Durham Nativity School, said he’s seen the neighborhood’s problems from the front steps of the private school he leads.
"About six months ago there was a drug raid right across the street in a barber shop,” Moylan said.
The cameras allow officers to watch what's happening on the streets in real time. Mayor Bill Bell said the cameras will not stop all crime, but he believes they'll complement other tools police already use.
Police in Durham have a new set of eyes to help fight crime.
"The question that people have is you might reduce [crime] here, but are you moving it someplace else,” Bell said. “That's a question, and that might happen but if [criminals] move somewhere else we'll just go follow them."
Because the cameras are wireless, officers can easily move them from one location to another. They’ll decide whether to move the cameras to more locations across the city once the six-month pilot project ends.
The pilot program will cost the city roughly $112,000. That money comes from the police department's budget, and funds from forfeited property.