Cincinnati police shooting for more public cameras

3/4/2013

CINCINNATI  — Police in Cincinnati say they want to significantly increase the number of surveillance cameras in public places over the next two years.

The Cincinnati Enquirer reports the department intends to increase the number of cameras it can tap into nearly 10-fold — from 118 cameras today to 1,000 by the end of 2014.

Some of the new cameras will be mostly paid for with federal grants. But police say it will also include entering partnerships with organizations willing to share existing cameras.

Police Capt. Jeff Butler said the cameras are about more than crime prevention. Cameras help with crowd control during events and can be used to organize emergency response. Retrieved footage can also be used to help convict criminals.