The Metropolitan Police Department will install three more closed-circuit cameras in neighborhoods fraught with crime problems, the department announced Friday.
The new cameras, which were approved by the D.C. Council last month as part of an emergency crime bill, will be installed in the 5300 block of Clay Terrace Northeast, the 4400 block of Quarles Street NE and the Unit block of K Street NW — the block between 0 and 99. Also, the camera initially installed in the 400 block of O Street Northwest is being upgraded and moved to Fifth and O streets. All cameras are “tactical,” meaning they can be moved periodically as crime patterns shift.
“They do need one over here,” said Lawrence Thomas, the Northwest One advisory neighborhood commissioner who represents the Unit block of K Street.
“It’s a high-crime area, robbery and all that stuff. We’ve been fighting for years for something like this.”
Police Chief Charles Ramsey, who’s responsible for selecting the locations, is required to make a choice based on calls for police service, reported crimes and other indicators, as well as recommendations from ANCs and other civic groups.
The cameras are passively monitored, meaning the tapes are watched only after reports of crime in the area trigger a review. Another 40 cameras, at a cost of roughly $60,000 each, are expected to be installed throughout the city by the end of September. The emergency legislation authorizing the cameras expires Oct. 21, at which point the cameras must be turned off, unless the council renews the measure.
Existing camera locations
» 1800 block of Benning Road NE
» Fifth and O streets NW
» 14th Girard Street NW
» 1200 block of Valley Avenue SE
