‘Cities and towns are creating new ways to expand neighborhood surveillance programs known as police cam-share programs.
An article in The Baltimore Sun revealed that the Baltimore County Council wants more businesses and homeowners to purchase CCTV surveillance equipment.
The bill would create a voluntary private security camera registry for property owners with devices pointed toward a public right-of-way, according to the proposal. The program would map where cameras are located to help detectives identify possible security footage in areas where crimes happened.
How do cities and towns expand police cam-share programs? By offering to waive permitting fees, that’s how.
That is what makes the Baltimore County Council’s Bill unique from other police cam-share programs.The County will waive the alarm permit fee the installation of a new alarm system that includes private security or surveillance cameras or the upgrade of a current alarm system that includes such cameras.
The Baltimore County Council wants to create a neighborhood surveillance network by offering homeowners and businesses a savings of $34.00-$113.00.
Under the proposal the county would waive alarm permitting fees for new alarm system installations — which start as low as $34 for homes and $113 for commercial buildings — that include private security or surveillance cameras if the owner signs up for the registry. The county would also waive fees for any updates to current alarm systems that include those cameras.’
