At a meeting held May 1, the Chicago Police Department hosted an orientation and training meeting for District 19 CAPS officers who will be utilizing an innovative network of cloud-based cameras installed throughout Roscoe Village as part of the Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy initiative. 

“The centerpiece of the program is the installation of up to 30 cameras in Roscoe Village,” said Bryan Niermeyer, commercial sales manager at Alert Protective Services, the company selected by the Roscoe Village Neighbors to complete the task. “These night vision equipped cameras will feed fully encrypted video footage into a cloud system that CAPS officers can access upon request as part of their investigation and crime solving efforts.” 

“The goal of the program is to assist police in Roscoe Village and discourage crime from occurring in the first place. As participation in the program expands, Roscoe Village will become a safer place to live, work and play,” said Jason Elster, RVN Neighborhood Watch committee chair. 

In addition to installing new cameras approved and funded by the board of Roscoe Village Neighbors, businesses and residents can purchase cameras linked to the program or bridge devices which allow existing cameras to be linked as well. 

This unique partnership with RVN, Alert Protective Services and the Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy combines strong advocacy with an alert system and enhanced communication that will hopefully result in increased apprehensions, stronger prosecution and lower crime overall. 

The program will be supported by street signs at entry points to Roscoe Village and a marketing campaign to provide additional deterrent value.