NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) — A pilot program rolling out across 10 New York City neighborhoods gives local businesses the option to stream their surveillance cameras directly to their local NYPD precincts, either at all times or in the case of an emergency.
Through the system, operated by public safety technology company Fusus by Axon, private businesses can either register or integrate their security cameras with their local precinct.
Registering informs police where cameras are located in case a crime occurs nearby, while integration provides police with real-time access to camera feeds. Business owners who integrate their cameras can choose how and when their cameras are accessible to the police department.
Mayor Eric Adams announced the deployment of the pilot at a press conference on Thursday, and said that with retail theft up 5% compared to this time last year, doing nothing is a form of “urban surrender.”
“We refuse to surrender to any form of criminality. We’re not going to allow shoplifters and organized crime rings to prey on businesses,” Adams said.
The latest police statistics show that more than 21,000 retail thefts have been reported thus far in 2024.
Police Commissioner Edward Caban noted that the program will allow for more successful policing in these areas. “It launches more efficient investigations, builds stronger cases and leads to more effective prosecutions,” he said.
In June 2023, City Hall and the NYPD partnered with Fusus to launch a proof-of-concept for the program in Flushing. Thirty-five businesses enrolled to either register or integrate their cameras, and within the first 60 days the NYPD was able to close a citywide burglary pattern with 15 incidents and arrest an alleged shoplifter accused of stealing over $1,000 of merchandise from an eyeglass store.
Adams also zeroed in on the importance of the program in building trust between city officials and local businesses.
“These businesses, which is key, they are voluntarily saying we believe in the city and want to contribute to its safety,” the mayor said.
While enrolling in the pilot is free, the pilot program cost the city $1.5 million in a one-year agreement. The neighborhoods chosen to participate were determined by community input, quality-of-life complaints and crime data, the mayor’s office said.
For more information or to sign up for the program, click here.