Lancaster City Surveillance Case Study

Author: Carlton Purvis, Published on May 31, 2013

Most city surveillance systems are owned by local governments and paid for by taxpayer dollars, but shrinking budgets can cause cities to skimp on a system or neglect maintenance. However, one Pennsylvania city has created a citizen-run network of cameras and an adopt-a-camera program to keep up with its maintenance. In this note, we examine this program based on an interview with their managing director and analysis of their operational reports.

Operation and Adoption

The Lancaster Community Safety Coalition (LCSC) is a non-profit in Pennsylvania best known for its 161 camera city surveillance network. The organization runs primarily on donations so this month it launched an adopt-a-camera fundraiser to make sure the cameras stay on and working.

“We went through a significant downturn because of the recession, but so far we’ve been able to keep the camera system running,” LCSC Managing Director Wes Farmer says. “We hope this program will help us continue to maintain the cameras.” 

Farmer estimates the cost of the system at $2,300 per camera, per year (A total budget of $379,000. See the breakdown below) This includes maintenance, monitoring, rent for the building that houses the control room and pay for the LCSC staff.

********-*-****** *********** ********* ** ****** $*,*** ****** *** *********** ** * camera ** ***** ********. ** *** *** ** *** **** supporters *** ******** * ****** ** ***** ****** **** ******** maintenance ******* *** *** ***** ****** *** **** **** **** (to *********** * ***** ** **** ******** * **** ** a ***** ****, *** *******). *** ********** *** ********** ********* May *, *** ** ** *** **, ********* ******* (*** ** ***) *** **** ** ** *******.

****** **** ****** *** ****** **** ** ******* ** **** maintain *** ******* ***** ****** *** **** ******** *** ***** played ** ********* ******* *************. “** **** ******* ***** ***** ******* **** **** **** were ***** ****** ** ****** *** **** ******* ** *** the ************ **** *** ****** ** ** ****** ******** ** support **** ********** ******,” ****** ****.

*** ************ *** **** ******** *** ****** *** ****** $***,*** each **** *** ******** ********’* ****** *** *** ****. *** DA’s ****** **** *** ******* **** ****** ***** ***** ****** footage “*** ********** ** ***** ******,” ********** ** ***** ********* $20,000 *** **** **** **** **** ** *****.

The ******

*** ***** ******* **** ********** ********* ** **** ** **** of * ********* ***** ********** **********. *** *** ****** ** made ** ** *** ******* (*** ****** ******* *** ********, 16 ** *******, ********* *** ***), ********* ********, ************* ******* *** ***** ***** ***** **** *** **** ****** the ******’* ******** ************.

*** **** *** **** ** **** ***** ** ****** *** cable **** ** *** **** **** *** **** *** ******* in *** **** *** *** **** ******, *** *** ************ was **** ** *** ******* **** ***** (*** ** **** based ** *********) *** ********** ****** ** ******** *** ****** them * ******** ** **** *** ********.

*** *******, ***** **** ***** ***** ** ******* ** *********, record **/*. *** ********* *** **** ***** *** ******* *** cameras **** **-** ***** ***** *** ****** ** *** ****** scanner *** ********* *** **** * ******* **** *** *********** can **** ** ******* *** ******* ******* * ******* ****. Additionally, **** *** **** **** ***** ** *** *********** *** the ****** *******

***** ** ****** *** ** ****. **** **** ** ** willing ** ******* ******* ** **** ****** *** *********** *** defense ********* **** * ********.

Results ** *** ******

***** **** **** **** *** ****'* ****** ****** *********:

  • ****** ********* ****** ********* *********** 491 ***** to alert them of a crime in progress.
  • **** **** *** **** ** ********* *********** 8,735 *****.
  • **** ******** 1600 ******** ** ****** ***** *** ******** ******** ** *** ** *** 922 *********.
  • ******* ******** ******** *** 133 *******, ** *********

*** ****** ** ************. ** *******, *** ****** ********* **** called ******** ***** *.* ***** *** ****** **** **** ******** ******** *** ** ****** ***** *** day. *** *** ****** $**** ******* **** **** *** ******** to *******, ** **** ****** ***** **?

Future *****“*** ****** ***** **** *** ****** ** ********* ** **** * ******* **** ** ************* *** **** cameras,” **** ******. “* ***** **** ** ****** ***, *** I **** ** **** ***** * **** *** ********* ******* in *** **** ** ********* ** ** **** ** ******* that."

IPVM *********** **** *** ******** ********’* *************** ** ******** ****** ****** ** *** **** ******* **** have ** ******** ** ******* *** ******* **, *** *** amount *** **** ** *** ******. ** *** **** ** cameras **** **** *******, *** ** ********* *** *** **** program ** *** ******* ** ***** ** * *** ** keep *** ******* ****** *** *** **** *** *****. *******, at **** *****, *** ******* **** **** ** ** ********, requiring * **** **** *********** **********.

*** ***** **** *** ********* ************ ******* *** *********** *** public “****” *** ******, *** *** *****-*-****** ******* ***** ****** more ** * ***** ** *********. ** ** *** ** both************, ***** **** ** *** ******* *** *** ****, ******** ***** ****** ****** *** *** * ******** ***** ******* *** murdered, ****** ***** **** ******* *********** ***** ********** ***** ** ****** ************** **** ******** *** **********. *** *** ** **** ******* **** **** **** **** **** *********** *** *** *** ******* are **** *** **********. *** ****** ** **** ****** ** *** questions ***** *** * ****** ** *** ******* **** **** receive ******* ******* ** ***** ****** *** **** **** $*,*** to **** **** *******.

** *** ***** ****, ***** *** ****** ******* ** *** system, **** ** *** ****** *** ** **********, **** ** the **** ***** ** ****?

Comments (7)

Thumbnail profile pic

Ethan Ace

IPVM | 05/31/13 07:14pm

* ***** **'* ********* ** ******** *** ***** ** * camera ****** ** *** **** ***** **'* **** ** ******* evidence ** ******** * ********. *** **** ******** ** *** much (** ********) *** ***** ** ***** ***** ** ************* manpower ** ****** **** ***** *********. ******, **** ****** ********* on *** ***** ** *** ***** ****, ***.

John Honovich

IPVM | 05/31/13 08:07pm

*****, ***'* *** ** ******** ** ******* ***** ******* - $5,000? $**,***? ***** **** ** **** ********** ****** ** *****. 150 ********* * $*,*** ** */* *******, * ***** **** would ** * ******** *****.

******* *** ** **** ** ** ** ** * ********** of *** ****** ** *** ****. ********* **** *** *,*** - *,*** ****** *** **** (****** *****). ****'* *.* - *% ** ****** ****** ** ***** cameras. **** **** * *** ****, ** ***** *** ******** city ****** ****** ** $*.* ******* (********* ******- ********* **** *** ~**,*** ****** - *** ***).

** ****'* ********, *********** ** ****** ******* *** ******* ****** than *******.

***, **** ** ***** *** * ***** ** ****** *********** this ****.

Carlton Purvis

05/31/13 08:21pm

* ****** *** **** *.*-*% ******** ** ***** ****** *** what ********** ** ****** *** ********* ****** ** ******/**** ********** of ***** *** ** ***** ***** ********?

Thumbnail profile pic

Ethan Ace

IPVM | 05/31/13 08:24pm

* ***** **** ******* ************* ***** ** ***********. ** ***** isn't * ************* ** ****/*** *** *** ** *** *****. I *** ******* ** ***, * ****** ****. ** ******** caught ** ****** *** ***** ** * ****** ****** ********, for ******* (***** ******** ******** ** *********), *** ****** ** a ****** **** ** *** ***** **** *************, *'* ***** it ***** ******** ** * **** *** ****** ****** *** the ******, ** *** ****, **?

Matt Golueke

05/31/13 11:01pm

********** - ***** *** **** - ** **** ** *********** to *** *** ********** ***** ** ****** ****** *******. *** fact ** **** ****-**** ***** *** **** ******** ****** ** crimes, *** *** *** ****** ** * *** *** *****, and ***** *** ****** * ***** ** ******** ***** **** are ** ***** ************ *******. ** **** ** ** *********** few ***** ** *** *** *** **** *** **** ** economics *** ****** ******* **** *** ** ****** *** ************* of *** *****. *** ***** **** ** **** ** ****** technology ********* ** *******, ***** ****** **** *** **** ************ in ********** *** ***** ******. ***** ********** ************, *** ***** performance ************, *** ****** ******/*** *********** **** ** * ***** benefit ** ************ ***** *******.

Thumbnail usa shield

Luis Carmona

IPVMU Certified | 06/06/13 12:26pm

"** *** *** ** *** **** ********** *** ******** * report ** ***** ****** **** ******** *********** ******* *** *** their ****** *** **** **** ****"

*** ** ***** *** ****** ***'* ** ******* ** ** your ******** *** *** ******* *** * ***** ** ****.

"**** **** ** ** ******* ** ******* ******* ** **** police *** *********** *** ******* ********* **** * ********."

*** ****'* *** ** ****** **.

John Honovich

IPVM | 06/06/13 03:45pm

*** ***** **** **** * * **** *** ***** ****** PTZ ** **** ********? *** *********!

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