Local News

Security cameras coming to Cambridge’s Central Square after complaints about crime

Central Square is getting anti-crime cameras. Not everyone is happy about it.

A security camera overlooks the Kendall Square/Massachusetts Institute of Technology campus area, Friday, May 31, 2024, in Cambridge, Mass. AP Photo/Charles Krupa

By Eva Levin

September 11, 2024

2 minutes to read

After complaints about crime in the area, the Cambridge Police Department said it plans to install security cameras in Central Square.

“After hearing from residents, businesses, and city leaders about an increase in violence, theft, drug use, and other quality of life issues in Central Square, CPD set out to explore a pilot program using cameras to enhance its crime control and prevention efforts,” the Cambridge Police Department said in a statement.

The new “highly visible” cameras in public spaces will help law enforcement stop and solve crime, the department said. Police did not say when and specifically where cameras would be installed.

A report from Cambridge police submitted to Cambridge City Council said the cameras will not be monitored. However, they will capture video 24/7. Police will store the video for up to 60 days. The public can request specific footage through a public records request, according to the report.

The report submitted to the city council said each camera would cost an estimated $15,000. Police said the cost would be covered by the Urban Areas Security Initiative, a grant provided by the Department of Homeland Security.

Data from the Cambridge Police Department shows a large amount of the city’s crime occurs in Central Square. An August report from the department shows 35 percent of aggravated assaults and 51 percent of street robberies in the past eight months occurred in Central Square.

Privacy concerns over Central Square cameras

Cambridge police said the goal of these cameras is to improve city and police services, while also maintaining the right to privacy. The department recognizes the “balance” between an individual’s privacy and public safety, it said in the statement.

However, several groups gave written and oral testimony to the Cambridge City Council against the camera installation. The Massachusetts Pirate Party, an organization mainly devoted to “promoting privacy,” released a statement opposing the expansion of security cameras. Party chair James O’Keefe said at a Sept. 9 City Council meeting that law enforcement may misuse the footage to identify protesters or track down women getting abortions at the nearby rape crisis center.

“The only way to protect people from misuse of surveillance data is not to gather it at all,” O’Keefe said. “The Pirate Party urges you to reject this attempt to expand the number of surveillance cameras in Cambridge.”

A spokesperson for civil liberties group Digital Fourth gave written testimony against the cameras. In a statement, Digital Fourth chair Alex Marthews said the public doesn’t need or want the cameras installed.

“Cambridge needs many things, like decent apartments people can afford to live in, and the HEART program for unarmed community first response,” Marthews said in the statement. “It never needed more cameras, and doesn’t need them now. It’s a sad day for anyone who cares about their privacy.”