As city officials in Newark continue their fight to bring crime down, residents are being asked to help by viewing the feeds of surveillance cameras throughout the city, thanks to a new initiative.
Citizen Virtual Patrol was launched last week in Newark allowing community members to virtually patrol their neighborhoods and to assist police in deterring criminal activity. The initiative allows the public to monitor streaming video in 62 places throughout the city.
“Deploying Citizen Virtual Patrols is an accomplishment we’ve worked tirelessly to bring to our residents,” Director Public Safety Director Anthony F. Ambrose said. “Equipping concerned community members with the ability to pinpoint exactly when and where suspicious, criminal or quality of life incidents are occurring empowers more people to play a more active role in neighborhood watch.”
Cameras can currently be viewed on npd.newarkpublicsafety.org on a desktop or laptop computer. A mobile phone app is also in the works. If criminal activity is seen, residents are asked to call 973-733-6000 or 911 to report crime. Law enforcement is also monitoring the cameras. Newark wants to deploy an additional 63 cameras in the future.