Safety Committee: Camera Project

By Barbie Klik

The Bolton Hill Camera Project

Do you have a surveillance camera on your property? If so, please tell us about it.

The Mount Royal Improvement Association Safety Committee is working to identify and map private surveillance cameras in Bolton Hill. When crimes occur, surveillance footage – not just of the crime itself, but also of suspects’ movements nearby – can help police track down perpetrators.

But police don’t always know if such footage is available, and the camera owners may not know that their footage could help solve a crime and lead to an arrest. Critical footage can even be erased without the owners knowing that they have it.

MRIA’s Safety Committee wants to bridge that gap by making a centralized database of surveillance cameras that police and citizens can use to help solve crimes in our neighborhood. The information you provide will be curated by the committee and made available to law enforcement.

The strength of a community is measured by how well we work together. You may have installed a surveillance camera to watch over your own home, but it may not have occurred to you that if we pull these resources together, we can create an invaluable tool that improves our collective security – and acts as a deterrent to future crime.

If you have a surveillance camera and want to help make your neighborhood safer, please send the following details to BoltonHillCams@gmail.com:

1. Name and property address.
2. Location: does your camera (or cameras) face the street, rear of the home, side, or a combination?
3. Is your camera registered with CitiWatch?
4. May the MRIA Safety Committee or law enforcement contact you? And if so, what is your preferred method of contact?
5. Contact information.
6. Details about your camera or setup you care to share: make/model, location (eye level, overhead, etc.), night vision capability, range/scope of camera frame, data storage, any other pertinent details.

If you have questions, don’t hesitate to contact MRIA Safety Committee Co-chair Richard Dunfee (dunfeer@verizon.net) or John Heltman (johnheltman@gmail.com), leader of the Camera subcommittee. Other members of the subcommittee are Patrick Francis and Linda Stirling.

Crime Statistics

Crime has declined since January, both February and March we saw a 65% and 47% decrease in serious crimes in February and March, respectively. 

Remember:

1. Be aware of your surroundings.  If you see something suspicious, call 911!
2. Keep outdoor lights on. They help everyone feel more comfortable when out on the streets.
3. Go on a charm offensive by welcoming everyone you see in the neighborhood. Building relationships is one of the best deterrents to crime.

If you are a victim of a crime, first get to a safe location and call the police. Then, report the crime to the Bolton Hill Email Network, BHEN@Boltonhill.org. Provide specifics so others can be on the lookout.