INDIANAPOLIS — Businesses and households are already signing up for a new program that partners the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department and community members with surveillance cameras.
The goal of B-Link Indy is to reduce the amount of time it takes to get footage from cameras to investigators. A city representative said five businesses and 60 households have enrolled in the program that was introduced earlier this week.
Cameras are rolling every day and capturing footage of things happening at shopping centers and in neighborhoods. When crime occurs, investigators often reach out to get copies of that footage, but it's not always a quick process.
"To have quick and reliable access to video is imperative for investigations," Goodwill president and CEO Kent Kramer said.
So that's why leaders at Goodwill said they're excited to be one of the first businesses involved.
"Goodwill has existing cameras," Kramer said. "That's what was great about this. Goodwill already had a system in place, so we worked with IMPD to put a few more cameras up that were more outward facing."
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B-Link Indy allows businesses to sign up to share live or real-time video from the cameras to IMPD. That way when someone calls 911, officers will be able to watch the incident as it unfolds providing more information for first responders and ideally leading to quicker arrests.
One woman shopping outside Goodwill on 38th Street said she thinks it is a great idea.
"It will help lower the crime," Patricia Akinsiroye said. "Like I said, so much stuff going on and I would feel safer."
People with security cameras outside their home are also able to sign up. While their video won't be live for officers, it will still help investigators as they work to collect evidence because they will already know where cameras in the neighborhood are located.
"I think that is awesome. We have to bring back security in the neighborhood," Angela Keita said. This is our future, our kids. This is where we live, where we go to work. Yeah, I think this is a great idea."
