New Orleans adding 36 privately funded crime cameras downtown

NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - New Orleans Police Superintendent Shaun Ferguson announced Wednesday (April 10) the addition of 36 privately funded cameras downtown to help keep the city safe.

These cameras will be privately funded by the Downtown Development District and used by the NOPD. The additional cameras are part of the SafeCam Platinum program through the New Orleans Police and Justice Foundation.

It integrates cameras installed outside homes and businesses into the city’s real-time crime center. The foundation director said the network creates a 21st century neighborhood watch.

In the real-time crime center there are 400 city owned cameras and 150 privately owned. Ferguson said the partnership reduces the amount of hours investigators may have to use going door to door to check private cameras.

“This reduces the number of manpower hours that we have to use on unnecessary incidents. This also allows us the opportunity to arrive on scene in a safer manner, to make well informed decisions upon arrival in various scenes in real time. It also gives us resource in following up investigations,” Ferguson said.

Business owners with these cameras will pay the monthly fees. The cameras are installed in 10 different locations downtown.

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