In an effort to reduce violence and boost community safety, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said the city will soon begin covering some of the costs of outdoor security cameras for businesses and homeowners across Chicago.
Lightfoot and other city officials on Monday announced a series of new initiatives to improve public safety, including a new Home and Business Protection Rebate Program through which residents can get rebates to defray the cost of security cameras and video storage.
Through the rebate program, the city will provide financial reimbursement to residents and business owners for outdoor security cameras and one year of cloud storage for video footage, outdoor motion sensor lighting and vehicle GPS trackers. City officials are also asking those who participate in that program, as well as those who already have existing security cameras set up at their homes or businesses, to register those cameras with the Chicago Police Department.
Lightfoot said she doesn’t want a “Big Brother-esque” camera system, but rather wants to help police streamline the process for investigators who are seeking video of certain crimes occurring nearby.