Officials in Lawrence, Massachusetts are taking a major step to combat crime.
Mayor Dan Rivera and Police Chief Roy Vasque are asking City Councilors for funding to install dozens of surveillance cameras throughout the city, all to deter crime but mainly to help solve it.
Chief Vasque says he’s been wanting cameras here for a long time and now he is another step closer to getting a valuable tool to fight crime in the city.
“Two homicides off the top of my head where video cameras were a key element in solving the crime with no witnesses and they weren’t our cameras. They were business cameras, they were residents cameras."
In total, 84 cameras will be placed in hot spots. Mayor Rivera says the cameras will not be there to give traffic violations or spy on citizens.
“First and foremost we’re going to dump it every 30 days so it’s not like we’re going to keep it long term. It’s only going to be used to go after a criminal or close a case.”
Residents we spoke to are for the cameras, like Elsa Sanchez who says some people are afraid to report to the police for fear of retaliation.
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“It gives them an opportunity to at least feel comfortable that something is being done in the city without endangering them,” Sanchez says.
“This is to let people know if you’re going to commit crime in Lawrence. You’re going to get caught.”
Mayor Rivera says he is confident that the cameras will be approved by the city, and he hopes the program will be up and running by sometime this summer.
