PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — In an effort to cut back on crime, a West Philadelphia business association will be giving surveillance cameras to hundreds of residents and businesses in the coming weeks and months. The initiative is called "Project Safe Corridors."
The plan, put together by the West Philadelphia Corridor Collaborative, is to distribute 300 free cameras.
"They're gonna be dome cameras with a hardened case to make sure that they're, to an extent, tamper-proof," said Jabari Jones, president of the collaborative.
Jones said those who live or own a business within their district are eligible to apply online. What's more, the organization is using Philadelphia police data to prioritize those who are in high-crime spots.
"We believe that the presence of these cameras alone will be able to help deter some crime and some criminal activity. [When] people see cameras on any block, lining a block, that may make them think twice," he said.
Read the grant guidelines for Project Safe Corridors here.
"Cameras act as a natural deterrent. The more cameras that you have that are more visible, the lighting ... in certain communities, that does affect the patterns of criminal activities."
If some crimes do occur, Jones said the footage will be there for police to use. He added, "One of the things we hope the program does is to give people a better sense of security and safety."
Much of the funding is from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, according to Jones. The program's $182,000 price tag pays for the cameras and installation.
Related
