DC Residents Get Rebates for Installing Security Cameras

A new program in D.C. helps pay for residents and business owners to buy surveillance cameras -- if they register them with the District to help catch criminals.

More than 200 people have applied for rebates of as much as $750 to install cameras outdoors, with an agreement that D.C. police can access them if needed.

Cameras are essential for fighting crime, Police Chief Cathy Lanier said.

"It's almost impossible to commit a crime these days and not be caught on somebody's video," she said.

Retired U.S. Department of Treasury worker Wanda Hawkins took advantage of the rebate program to boost security around her home in the Fort Lincoln area of Northeast D.C.

"I just needed a little bit extra security protection, and the cameras were the best solution," he said.

Applying for the $500 rebate was easy, Hawkins said. She filled out paperwork describing which cameras had been installed and then got a check a few weeks later. (D.C. sends workers to check on the cameras.)

“It’s a great idea, a great idea,” she said. “A couple of my other neighbors are looking into it as well.”

Ward 6 Councilman Charles Allen came up with the idea after dozens of community meetings. The District put $500,000 into the program. Allen said he will ask for more funding if that money runs out.

For more information on the program, which gives residents as much as $500 and businesses as much as $750, see here.

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