Project NOLA Non-Profit Community Based Crime Camera Program |
Mayor's Crime Cameras including Adopt-a-Block & SafeCam Platinum |
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About |
Located at the University of New Orleans, the Project NOLA National Real-Time Crime Center monitors cameras on public and private property around New Orleans |
Located on the edge of the French Quarter, the Mayor's Office of Homeland Security monitors City-owned, Adopt-a-Block and SafeCam Platinum Cameras |
Number of Crime Cameras around New Orleans |
Over 5000 HD Crime Cameras facing public thoroughfares and areas |
May have less than 1000 functioning outdoor Crime Cameras |
Taxpayers Cost |
ZERO cost to the City of New Orleans. Funded by Charitable Donations and NOT City tax dollars |
Has received well over $100,000,000 in Taxpayers Dollars. Is now currently seeking another $900k (+ more in associated recurring cost) to install 200 more cameras |
Camera Accessibility |
NOPD, JPSO, BRPD, EBRSO, PPSO, SBSO, Covington PD, LSP, FBI, DEA, ATF, USM and Project NOLA, via RTCCs, Office PCs or Mobile Devices. If applicable, cameras in particular neighborhoods may also be remotely accessed by the neighborhood's private patrol officers or nearby University Campus Police Department |
NOPD Officers typically request footage from City RTCC Staff or relocate to City RTCC to access cameras |
Max Cloud Record Resolution |
8k HD / 33.2MP |
1080p HD / 2MP |
Advanced Camera Capabilities Offered |
Sony STARVIS NightVision, Auto-Tracking Cameras, Advanced AI that detects the presence of humans & vehicles, Intelligent Active Deterrence Lighting (Red/ Blue police LEDs and Built-In spotlight that automatically activate and point towards a person or vehicle when an AI rule is tripped), Thermal Cameras, Advanced Radar-Aided Human/ Vehicle Tracking, 2-Way Audio Communications and more |
None Known |
Advanced Analytics Offered |
Active & Passive Facial Recognition, License Plate Recognition, Clothing Recognition, Bicycle Recognition, Gunshot Detection, Advanced Intrusion Detection, Fence-Jumping Detection, Theft/ Missing Object Detection, Virtual Trip-Line Detection, Trash Dumping Detection, Crowd Gathering Detection and more |
Basic Video Meta Data |
Proactive Policing |
With a heavy focus on gang & violent crime abatement, cameras may be proactively monitored in search for crimes in progress and stolen property, including vehicles and firearms. Project NOLA also often finds connections between independent criminal investigations, alerts detectives of related crimes and criminal associations, promoting highly efficient inter/ intra agency collaboration. |
Reactive, NOT Proactive. |
Privacy |
Footage is only retained for 2-4 weeks, data is stored 100% ON-SITE on servers owned by Project NOLA and is NOT sold or shared with 3rd parties |
Uses Commercial Cloud Recording Service that stores video off-site. Very long history involving the selling or sharing of data, including to at least one very large data mining company |
Transparency |
Full Transparency. Long History of advising public of program capabilities, including data retention policies and Facial Recognition |
Well known and documented history involving not being honest with public officials and general public, especially involving data retention policies, Facial Recognition and rampant problems involving camera failures |
Cost to Host or Sponsor a Crime Camera |
A 501c3 Non Profit Organization, Project NOLA uses its own funds to purchase high-quality cameras, then provides the cameras to others for FREE. Camera Hosts/ Sponsors pay as little as $300/ yr to cover the Cloud Recording of a 4MP Crime Camera. The annual Cloud Fee to sponsor our most popular Pole-Mountable Long Range Pan-Tilt-Zoom Camera featuring Sony STARVIS NightVision, Auto-Tracking and more, is only $550/ yr. (Project NOLA does not offer 720p cameras due to their low picture quality, but may charge as little as $120/yr to receive 3rd party 720p cams someone may already have) |
Very basic cameras for homes & small businesses may be purchased for $250 from a pre-approved vendor. The vendor then charges an Annual Cloud Cost of $216/yr for low-quality 720p / 1MP Recording or around $300/yr for 1080p/ 2MP Recording. Purchasing Higher Definition cameras is a waste of money, since the City's Cloud only supports up to 1080p / 2MP HD Recording. Cameras on Poles may cost between $4500 - $20,000. Cameras purchases, cloud subscriptions purchases and installation services MUST all be arranged through one of several pre-approved vendors |
Camera Service Life |
Free cameras provided by Project NOLA have been known to last over 10 years. In the rare event of a camera malfunction, Project NOLA offers a free replacement camera. After a camera has been in service for 5 years, Project NOLA typically offers a new camera as a free replacement, in effort to help ensure superior picture quality and features. |
Long history involving cameras being installed yet not actually connected to the City's RTCC, cameras failing very prematurely, and operational cameras mysteriously being disconnected from the City's RTCC after only a year in service |
Critical Problems |
No past or present critical problems. The most successful, time-tested and cost-efficient crime camera program in America, Project NOLA serves as a model for other crime camera programs and has actively helped the NOPD significantly reduce crime. |
Many past and present critical problems that continue to jeopardize officer and public safety (see above). Additionally: City RTCC routinely wrongfully advises NOPD officers that real cameras at actual locations do are not part of the City's program then suggest that the officers go elsewhere in search of video footage; Cameras also do not see moving people/ objects very well at night; City Cameras are mainly pointed at major Intersections and are more likely to capture traffic accidents vs actual crimes; Program managers have failed to remedy long-outstanding critical issues; Some City vendors push more-expensive 4k/ Ultra HD cameras although the City's Cloud cannot record above 1080p. |