Car thefts and break-ins continue to plague the entire region. But the St. Louis Hills Neighborhood Association is taking things into its own hands, along with one resident who is a software programmer.
Tom Scheifler, the chairperson for the safety committee of the St. Louis Hills Neighborhood Association, tells KMOX this project started four or five years ago when his neighbor was carjacked after a traditional neighborhood watch program didn't pan out.
That's when Scheifler thought cameras might be a better fit — but at the time, they were cost prohibitive. Today, cameras with the proper software are affordable, thanks to Scheifler's work as a programmer.
Scheifler developed software that works with more affordable cameras that give off-duty police officers a real-time view of what's happening in the neighborhood.
Residents bought the cameras, then the neighborhood association hired off-duty police officers to work secondary, settling with the Campbell Security Group.
Now, an off-duty officer patrols St. Louis Hills and is being paid by the St. Louis Hills Neighborhood Association. The pilot program has cost nearly $15,000. The end result is to have each resident pay $15 per month to fund the private policing.
Scheifler has donated all his time and expertise with the hope of eventually having every neighborhood in St. Louis adopt similar programs. In the first few weeks of the program, he told KMOX, one person has been arrested for looking for open car doors.
Hear more on the project from KMOX's Maria Keena:
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