Cameras deployed at many locations throughout Lancaster city have increasingly aided officials in providing evidence to prosecute crime, specifically in hit-and-runs, a crime that has received some visible media attention over the past few months.
The Lancaster Safety Coalition or LSC, a local non-profit organization that operates the cameras, continues to implement a 170-camera overhaul of the public safety camera system that has already led to a 26% increase in the amount of relevant video evidence provided to prosecutors in hit-and-run crimes.
In 2019, the LSC received 225 requests regarding hit-and-runs and were able to provide relevant video 33% of the time.
Up until mid-November of 2021, the LSC received 243 requests and were able to provide relevant evidence 59% of the time.
LSC Executive Director Tim Miller used an analogy “from batting average to free throw percentage” to describe where he hopes those percentages will grow in the future. That would be an approximate growth from 25% to 75%.
The LSC began to replace cameras that were over a decade old in 2021, upgrading to 4K resolution and 360-degree Panasonic cameras.
(The first four images show the view from the new 4K resolution, four-lens, 360-degree cameras. The last image was what the previous one-lens cameras showed. For a zoomed-in view, look at the attachments included below.)
Miller also emphasized the LSC’s goals of wanting to hold motorists responsible, deter people from committing crimes and overall have a long-term positive effect on the community.
“Motor vehicle crimes such as hit-and-run can be very serious,” District Attorney Heather Adams said. “The unbiased video evidence we receive from the Coalition that assists in the prosecution ultimately will deter others from committing this crime.”
Although fewer than half of the cameras have been upgraded so far, Miller believes it’s a positive sign moving forward.
“By the time we have completed our overhaul, the difference will be night and day,” he said.
The Lancaster Safety Coalition was established in 2003 and has the goal “to enhance the safety and quality of life for every resident and visitor in the City of Lancaster,” according to the organization’s website.
The LSC is funded largely by donations, and partners with community-based organizations to promote “CPTED (crime prevention through environmental design), community pride and the shared responsibility that comes with being a good neighbor.”
MEDIA CONTACT: Sean McBryan, semcbryan@co.lancaster.pa.us; Twitter: @SeanMcBryanLanc.
