The city of New Haven will buy 500 surveillance cameras to help police with a growing number of shootings and homicides that remain unsolved.
The city Board of Alders gave final approval to Mayor Justin Elicker’s proposal to spend $12 million of federal coronavirus relief money on several public safety measures and technology upgrades.
The new 500 surveillance cameras positioned in crime hotspots around the city will cost nearly $4 million. The city already has 190 cameras — just a few in comparison to 1,200 in Harford and 1,600 in Bridgeport.
Elicker said the cameras will prevent shootings, with the city under a watchful eye, and help police solve deaths from gun violence. New Haven will end 2021 with a closure rate in homicide cases of around 30%, while Hartford’s homicide closure rate is close to 70%.
Almost $1 million will fund additional police overtime and recruitment bonuses. Another $1 million will expand the city’s ShotSpotter technology to track gun fire in real-time.
