Progress is being made in getting more businesses to join Project Greenlight in downtown Windsor. To date, 30 locations have been approved with 51 cameras installed as part of the program to increase security and safety within the core. Windsor’s Executive Director of Economic Development Matthew Johnson says they actually have two installations coming up this week with four cameras being installed. “We have eight to 10 cameras in the queue to be installed over the next few weeks or so. We’ve seen incredible uptake; we’re over 30 per cent allocated in just four months, so we’re really seeing some strong interest from downtown businesses and property owners,” he says. In February, city council approved $450,000 for the program launched in March, providing approved businesses a payment of up to $5,000 to help purchase and install commercial-grade security cameras and video monitoring services, with each camera marked with a green blinking beacon to ensure public visibility. Approved businesses then have to sign a contract with Security ONE Alarm Systems to maintain, operate, and monitor the cameras, which will have real-time monitoring capabilities, including two-way communication with sound and geofencing technology for potential trespass detection. In May, the Downtown Windsor Business Improvement Association announced it would cover the yearly fee for one camera per business or property owner that signs on to the program, a $50,000 investment. Johnson says the locations of the cameras across the Downtown Windsor BIA are really spread out across the core. “We have good coverage in certain pockets of the downtown. There are several cameras installed along Ouellette, along Pelissier, some further up along Wyandotte, and some closer on Chatham Street,” he says. “It’s very diverse in terms of where the locations are, which is a good thing because it provides more of a web of coverage across the downtown.” Johnson says they’ve taken a proactive approach to target places they’d like to see cameras installed by conducting weekly business walks. “There’s staff on my team who do a phenomenal job partnering with the Downtown Windsor BIA and Windsor Police. We’ll go around the downtown core and identify locations that may be best suited,” he says. “Then we’ll proactively reach out to those business owners and landlords to say you’ve been pre-approved or your location has been preapproved. Here’s the process to do this.” Eligible applicants include registered businesses and property owners who own or lease commercial space within the Downtown Windsor BIA and are in good standing with the City of Windsor. There are various packages available for businesses that sign up for the program, which include AI-monitored cameras or all the way up to a live person monitoring the video feed. Access to live or recorded video footage is restricted to the participating business or property owner and authorized Security ONE monitoring personnel only. The city and law enforcement do not have access to the video, unless authorized by the business owner. The funding is being provided through the city’s Strengthen the Core initiative.
