Security Camera Plans for Morningside
The MLPA Security Team continues to investigate the uses of cameras to address security issues in the neighborhood – specifically, the chronic car break-ins. A committee of interested neighbors put together plans to establish a network of cameras that effectively cover the neighborhood. The proposed network is comprise of 3 levels of camera coverage and is designed primarily to help with police investigations after a crime incident and secondarily, as a deterrent for criminal activity.
Level 1: Cameras on Through Streets and Entrance Intersections in the Neighborhood
At the first level are license plate reader (LPR) cameras that are connected to and monitored 24 / 7 by officers in the Atlanta Police Department (APD). The Security Team works with the Police and the Atlanta Police Foundation to place LPR cameras at entrance intersections and on main through streets in the neighborhood; the Foundation makes the final determination about locations. Due to the incredible generosity of Morningside Lenox Park neighbors and businesses, we have 11 LPR cameras installed around the neighborhood. Funding for the cameras included donations from the City, the MLPA, and neighbors and businesses, plus matching funds placed at the Foundation by Council Member Alex Wan. All level 1 cameras are installed and maintained by the Foundation for 3 years and thereafter by the City.
In addition, businesses with specific types of cameras and software can pay a fee to be connected to the Video Surveillance Center. Most of the approximately 20,000 cameras currently connected to the Center are businesses from across the city– e.g., Georgia Aquarium, Coca Cola.
Level 2: Cameras on Interior Streets
At the second level, motion-activated, solar cameras that can capture license plate numbers are placed on interior streets. These cameras can be purchased or rented for installation on selected streets as agreed upon by residents on the street. Monitoring could be done by the APD or some other entity. For some companies, these cameras can be connected to the APD Video Surveillance Center. Currently, the MLPA is not involved with the purchase, rental, or management of LPR cameras on interior streets.
Level 3: Home, Business, and Car Security Cameras
At the third level are home, business, and car security cameras. The committee recognizes the value of these systems to the neighborhood camera network but does not otherwise make recommendations. Home cameras can be registered with Connect Atlanta to help identify local cameras in case of an incident. An investigator from the Atlanta Police Department will contact you via email if they need your assistance solving a crime near you.
Camera registration through Connect Atlanta takes less than one minute via the secure online portal. Registering your cameras does not allow the Atlanta Police Department access to your live video stream – it only enables investigators to know a camera is present at your location and easily request video evidence should an incident occur.
Rationale
Car break-ins are the most frequently occurring crime in Morningside. The police say that the thieves who commit these crimes return again and again to neighborhoods where the action is profitable. They are looking for cash, guns, and electronics that can be sold for quick cash. Our goal is to make Morningside an unattractive place to visit for this activity. We can accomplish this in several ways:
-Clean Car Campaign: Remove all valuables − such as purses, cell phones, GPS navigation systems, laptops and tablet computers – from unattended vehicles.
-Cameras: Cameras can help police with identifying cars that do not belong in the neighborhood in the middle of the night. LPR cameras can read license plates and be programmed to recognize plates that belong to residents versus those from outside the neighborhood. LPR cameras can also be programmed to recognize stolen cars and stolen license plates. When an LPR detects a stolen car or tag, the officer on patrol who is nearby can be notified to investigate.
Just like the neighborhood can have a reputation among the thieves that it is a source of “good merch,” it can also have a reputation of having cameras that can provide leads to arrests.
