DECATUR â Von Thomasâ house in Decaturâs Johns Hill neighborhood is as pretty as a picture and totally camera-ready.
But the unblinking eyes of the surveillance cameras about to be deployed in the streets around Thomasâ 1940s home arenât interested in his nicely redone brick tuckpointing, refurbished windows or an immaculate yard, due to be adorned soon with exotic plantings for the summer.
The coming cameras, capable of reading license plates on cars whizzing by at speeds up to 100 mph, are focused on capturing evidence. Itâs part of a private and city-funded anti-crime initiative that will soon seed Johns Hill and other neighborhoods with 60 of the devices that will keep watch 24/7, and record what they see so police can pull and analyze footage to aid investigations into anything from drive-by shootings to burglaries.
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