The Citizens Association of Georgetown (CAG) announced earlier this week that it will be installing security cameras in the Georgetown residential area. The project, spearheaded by CAG President Jennifer Altemus, will begin with installing three security cameras for a test period, after which, the CAG board has authorized the installation of six to seven additional cameras. In a letter to the neighborhood, Altemus writes:
Dear Neighbors,
In response to serious and wide-spread community concerns about public safety, the Citizens Association of Georgetown has broadened its Public Safety Program. It has taken a while to come together but this week we are installing security cameras in various locations throughout the residential community. We hope that the presence of these cameras will act as a deterrent to crime and assist the Metropolitan Police Department with criminal investigations.
The increase in security cameras was prompted by intense public concern for residents’ safety after a man was assaulted and robbed on T Street in the early hours of the morning on Aug. 15.
The CAG is encouraging blocks that are not covered by the program to purchase their own cameras and connect them to the CAG, which will then manage them. Diane Colasanto, member of the Committee of Public Safety, released a message explaining how the system works. First, it is not actively monitored, but rather stores images for a predetermined time period before deleting them. Additionally, there is a set of rules in place regarding who is allowed to view the stored images and under which circumstances they can be viewed.
It is still not known whether the Citizens Association of Georgetown will use the images to pursue instances of public intoxication and other similar offenses, as they did not respond to repeated requests for comment. Primarily, however, the system is intended to prevent violent crime and robberies and to help Metro police solve criminal investigations within the neighborhood.
