According to Atlanta Police Chief Rodney Bryant, the program allows the public to connect their surveillance camera feeds directly to the police department’s network. Bryant said police officers will be able to access security footage from their phones and in their patrol cars before they arrive at a crime scene.
“It really is a game-changer,” Bryant said Wednesday. “It gives us the availability to save time. “We’re moving from a video integration center to a real-time crime center.”
Bryant said Connect Atlanta currently has more than 4,500 security cameras in the network, and said that could grow to 25,000 by 2023.
There are two options for joining Connect Atlanta:
- Register your cameras: Register security cameras with APD to help identify area cameras in case of an incident. An APD investigator will contact a resident or business via email if they need assistance solving a nearby crime.
- Integrate your cameras: Businesses and residents can give APD and first responders direct access to their security camera feeds in case of a nearby emergency. Camera owners can choose if access is one time only or continuous.
Those interested in connecting their cameras, can visit connectatlanta.org.
Bryant said the new system led to an arrest in the drive-by shooting of a 6-month-old boy in northwest Atlanta earlier this week. He said Mercedes-Benz Stadium and Lenox Square are already integrated into the camera network.
The platform, funded by the Atlanta Police Foundation, was created by Peachtree Corners-based Fusus and is being used by nearly 100 other communities across the country.
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