A new safety camera pilot project was announced today by Columbus City Councilmember Andrew Ginther, Columbus Division of Police officials, neighborhood leaders, and Mayor Michael B. Coleman.
Over 40 safety cameras will be rolled out as early as next summer in areas including Weinland Park, The University District, The Hilltop, The King Lincoln District, the South Campus Gateway, Old Oaks and Ganther’s Place.
“These cameras are not a silver bullet to end crime in the City of Columbus,” said Mayor Coleman in a press release issued today. “They will be another tool officers can use to potentially prevent crimes before they happen and solve crimes after they happen.”
The locations have been chosen based on feedback from neighborhood residents who want to see the cameras installed, as well as crime statistics what help to identify areas where the cameras would be most effective.
“The neighborhood safety camera pilot program has the potential to significantly impact crime and will assist law enforcement apprehend and prosecute criminals,” said Councilmember Ginther, chair of the Public Safety Committee, in a press release today. “It is yet another way we can help our Division of Police work harder and smarter through the use of technology.”
Privacy concerns have been brought up on this topic when it was first proposed three years ago, which are being addressed with software that masks residential windows and logged records of who will be accessing video footage and for what reason.
Below are neighborhood maps of the future security camera locations (red dots are cameras, blue dots are data collection points), though the locations are subject to change: