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BALTIMORE, MD. (July 18, 2012) – Today, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake thanked the Abell Foundation for their support of a grant to aid the implementation of the CitiWatch Community Partnership. The partnership will create a new database of public and private security camera systems, allowing police to quickly identify camera systems in close proximity to crime scenes.
“The CitiWatch Community Partnership will allow more businesses and residents to support the Police Department’s efforts to further reduce crime in our neighborhoods,” said Mayor Rawlings-Blake. “Our existing CitiWatch network serves as a force-multiplier that enables the men and women of the Baltimore Police Department to do more to protect the citizens of this great city. Now, thanks to support from the Abell Foundation, we can do even more.”
The CitiWatch Community Partnership utilizes the security systems used by many private businesses and residences in Baltimore City. Citizens and business owners will be able to register their security camera systems with a Web application. When the database is complete, it will allow operators in police and CitiWatch control rooms to immediately identify all registered camera systems within a particular area near a crime. The interactive map will display all relevant information for each system, allowing officers to quickly access crime footage. The Police Department will maintain a database of these systems that allows officers access to investigative resources that would otherwise be unknown, inaccessible, costly, or time consuming to locate.
This expansion builds on Mayor Rawlings-Blake’s continued investment in public safety. Over 100 new crime cameras have been added to the CitiWatch network since Mayor Rawlings-Blake took office, increasing the total number of cameras to 583.
In 2011, CitiWatch participated in over 1,236 arrests, of which 145 arrests were made for violent crimes, including robberies, assaults, and illegal gun possession. Despite a difficult budget deficit, the mayor’s Fiscal 2013 Budget fully funds the operation of the crime camera program, which has been shown to reduce crime by 25% in covered areas. An Urban Institute study found that Baltimore’s CitiWatch system has a significant impact on crime and yielded $1.50 in benefits for every $1.00 spent.
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