'Neighborhood Watch of the 21st century': Orlando creating camera surveillance network
'Neighborhood Watch of the 21st century': Orlando creating camera surveillance network
Orlando Connect is described as a collaboration between the City of Orlando and residents or business owners that aims to integrate city-owned cameras and privately-owned cameras from voluntary participants, "to transform the way police officers can respond to, solve, and deter crime."
ORLANDO, Fla. - The Orlando Police Department is launching a new program that it said will make the city safer.
Orlando Connect is described as a collaboration between the City of Orlando and residents or business owners that aims to integrate city-owned cameras and privately-owned cameras from voluntary participants, "to transform the way police officers can respond to, solve, and deter crime."
The system would utilize thousands of private cameras from people's homes and businesses.
"It’s quite literally a neighborhood watch of the 21st century," said Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer.
You can register your surveillance camera at your home or place of business to alert investigators of device locations. If there’s an emergency in the vicinity of your camera, police could check in with you to view footage that might be helpful, or with your permission, they could pull from your video feed.
"They can integrate their cameras, and it's completely up to them what they give us access to," explained Orlando Police Captain Jay Draisin
OPD said it has been in contact with Atlanta Police about the technology, noting it helped expand their network from roughly 1,000 cameras to an estimated 7,000 in a few months.
You can read more about how Orlando Connect works and how to enroll your camera here.