Surveillance Cameras Added to Crime Hot Spots

Surveillance Cameras Added to Crime Hot Spots

Massachusetts city works to improve security with surveillance cameras.

Lawrence, Mass. is adding itself to the long list of cities implementing high-tech "eyes in the sky" to widen their surveillance arsenal. The city worked last week on installing the first of 110 surveillance cameras that will be located at major thoroughfares and high-crime hot spots throughout the city.

Police Chief Roy Vasque said the cameras will be added to areas where there is a high chance for criminal activity such as busy neighborhoods, three bridges connecting north and south Lawrence over the Merrimack River and along major roads "in and out of the city from any direction, so that you won't be able to come and go without hitting a camera somewhere."

Seventy-five cameras are being installed in the first phase of the project, which will be operating within the next month and will cost $200,000 to install and to maintain annually. About 35 more cameras will be added at a later time, another cost of $100,000.

The cameras work to relay live images to monitoring screens at police headquarters, where the images will be recorded and archived for at least 30 days. Some of the cameras will offer a fixed 180-degree view of a site, while others will be able to pan, tilt and zoom.

“There is a huge urgency and there is a huge problem when it comes to not just violence and crime, but drugs in our city,” Councilor Pavel Payano during the council discussion six months ago. “We see these cameras as an opportunity to stem the tide. (But there) is a need for legally enforceable safeguards that promote transparency, oversight and accountability for how these cameras are going to be used.”

Vasque and city lawyers developed a nine-page policy affirming that the cameras "will not be used to invade the privacy of individuals (or) survey the interior of private premises except as could be seen from the outside with a naked eye." The policy also says the cameras may not be pointed into places were people would have "a reasonable expectation of privacy," including inside their homes, but lists a number of exceptions.

"This [the installation of surveillance cameras] is to get bad guys doing bad things," Mayor Daniel Rivera said. "We need to make sure our community is safe."

About the Author

Sydny Shepard is the Executive Editor of Campus Security & Life Safety.

Featured

  • New Report Reveals Top Trends Transforming Access Controller Technology

    Mercury Security, a provider in access control hardware and open platform solutions, has published its Trends in Access Controllers Report, based on a survey of over 450 security professionals across North America and Europe. The findings highlight the controller’s vital role in a physical access control system (PACS), where the device not only enforces access policies but also connects with readers to verify user credentials—ranging from ID badges to biometrics and mobile identities. With 72% of respondents identifying the controller as a critical or important factor in PACS design, the report underscores how the choice of controller platform has become a strategic decision for today’s security leaders. Read Now

  • Overwhelming Majority of CISOs Anticipate Surge in Cyber Attacks Over the Next Three Years

    An overwhelming 98% of chief information security officers (CISOs) expect a surge in cyber attacks over the next three years as organizations face an increasingly complex and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven digital threat landscape. This is according to new research conducted among 300 CISOs, chief information officers (CIOs), and senior IT professionals by CSC1, the leading provider of enterprise-class domain and domain name system (DNS) security. Read Now

  • ASIS International Introduces New ANSI-Approved Investigations Standard

    • Guard Services
  • Cloud Security Alliance Brings AI-Assisted Auditing to Cloud Computing

    The Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), the world’s leading organization dedicated to defining standards, certifications, and best practices to help ensure a secure cloud computing environment, today introduced an innovative addition to its suite of Security, Trust, Assurance and Risk (STAR) Registry assessments with the launch of Valid-AI-ted, an AI-powered, automated validation system. The new tool provides an automated quality check of assurance information of STAR Level 1 self-assessments using state-of-the-art LLM technology. Read Now

  • Report: Nearly 1 in 5 Healthcare Leaders Say Cyberattacks Have Impacted Patient Care

    Omega Systems, a provider of managed IT and security services, today released new research that reveals the growing impact of cybersecurity challenges on leading healthcare organizations and patient safety. According to the 2025 Healthcare IT Landscape Report, 19% of healthcare leaders say a cyberattack has already disrupted patient care, and more than half (52%) believe a fatal cyber-related incident is inevitable within the next five years. Read Now

New Products

  • Compact IP Video Intercom

    Viking’s X-205 Series of intercoms provide HD IP video and two-way voice communication - all wrapped up in an attractive compact chassis.

  • Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

    Connect ONE®

    Connect ONE’s powerful cloud-hosted management platform provides the means to tailor lockdowns and emergency mass notifications throughout a facility – while simultaneously alerting occupants to hazards or next steps, like evacuation.

  • Mobile Safe Shield

    Mobile Safe Shield

    SafeWood Designs, Inc., a manufacturer of patented bullet resistant products, is excited to announce the launch of the Mobile Safe Shield. The Mobile Safe Shield is a moveable bullet resistant shield that provides protection in the event of an assailant and supplies cover in the event of an active shooter. With a heavy-duty steel frame, quality castor wheels, and bullet resistant core, the Mobile Safe Shield is a perfect addition to any guard station, security desks, courthouses, police stations, schools, office spaces and more. The Mobile Safe Shield is incredibly customizable. Bullet resistant materials are available in UL 752 Levels 1 through 8 and include glass, white board, tack board, veneer, and plastic laminate. Flexibility in bullet resistant materials allows for the Mobile Safe Shield to blend more with current interior décor for a seamless design aesthetic. Optional custom paint colors are also available for the steel frame.