In an effort to help curb crime in city neighborhoods, the Cleveland Police Department now has access to Cleveland Metropolitan School District security cameras.   

 “Anytime there is an incident or event that has happened on our property, we always share the video,” said Chief Lamont Dodson of CMSD’s Safety and Security Department.   

“Giving CPD access now gives us an opportunity to allow them to always see the exterior cameras of our property.”   

The Cleveland Police Department is currently connected to cameras operating out of East Professional Center and nine high schools: Collinwood, Ginn Academy, Glenville, John Adams, John F. Kennedy, John Marshall Campus, and  James Ford Rhodes Campus.  Seven more schools are expected to also integrate  their cameras with CPD.   

The city paid for the software to have access to the cameras, according to Chief Dodson.   

East Professional Center cameras went online with CPD in December, with the school cameras beginning in January.  

“We're not sharing it to just look at someone that we believe is inappropriate acting or doing something out of pocket,” said Dodson.    “This is a tool for us to better serve the community and keep our property safe. We can also give the men and women of the Cleveland Police Department better information about how to respond to an incident by viewing the cameras," he added.    

Dodson says crime is a community-wide issue, and we all need to do our part to keep the streets of Cleveland safe and the cameras are just one tool.  

At the start of the academic year, CMSD received 1.6 million dollars from a state safety grant for schools.  

The District used those funds to upgrade the security camera system at several schools, improve the public-address system and locks on classrooms and exterior doors.