Small businesses around the U.S. are negatively impacted by crime. But in at least one city, small businesses can also be part of the solution.

Washington, D.C. Police Chief Pamela Smith recently spoke about a new city program at the 2024 Potomac Conference on Public Safety. Much of the discussion at the event centered around the city’s decreased crime rates over the past year. But Smith also wanted to call businesses’ attention to CameraConnect D.C., a program where private businesses can register their security cameras with the city’s Real Time Crime Center to help police gain intel and solve crimes more quickly.

Smith spoke with WTOP after the event to again appeal to business owners, saying, “Please, please, please, allow the Metropolitan Police Department to have access to those cameras. It helps us move into the area quicker and make the appropriate arrests of those individuals who are creating havoc in our city.”

So far, Smith says there are about 40,000 cameras registered with the Metropolitan Police Department through the program.

As for those who have privacy concerns regarding the program, Smith says that registering doesn’t automatically give police access to footage. It’s more about letting the department know about existing cameras that they may be able to access if an incident occurs nearby.

She said at the event, as reported by NBC News4, “I want to make it clear, by simply registering your camera, in no way are you giving MPD live access to your camera footage.”

Of course, it’s still up to each business and individual if they feel comfortable registering with such a program. But those that want to see crime numbers drop in their areas often feel helpless. So this type of program offers a way for businesses and property owners to help. It might seem small, but as more and more properties participate, it could make a significant impact.

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