North Carolina City Adds Over 150 Cameras to Boost Security

Greenville police have increased their security cameras by 54 percent.

• By Sydny Shepard
• Jan 22, 2019

The City of Greenville, North Carolina has stepped up its security in 2019 with the addition of 170 new security cameras installed in specific areas around town, increasing the total number of cameras in the city by 54 percent.

The Greenville Police Department is using more than 500 cameras to keep an eye on the city.

"Number one, we hope it makes the public feel safe to know that we are always watching out for them along main thoroughfares, in our business district and our downtown area," Cpt. Chris Ivey, field operations bureau commander with Greenville Police told WNCT. "And number two, we hope that people who would be intent on committing a crime would see those blue lights and say, 'Hey, maybe we need to go to another town or county or someone else and commit a crime elsewhere."

The locations of the new security cameras are not random, but rather strategically placed in highly popular areas or crime hot spots.

"Maybe it's a main traffic flow area, main ingress or agree from the city or into a neighborhood, but some of them we [installed] in areas data identified as having some challenges with criminal activity," Ivey said.

Greenville Police said more cameras and more lighting will be coming throughout the new year to areas around the city that have not yet been covered.