NEW ORLEANS – In a two-story building at the University of New Orleans, more than 10,000 video feeds from communities across the country are transmitted at the speed of light.
A small staff is watching these feeds, studying gang members and tracking drug deals in small towns and major cities.
It’s called Project NOLA, the largest community crime camera network in the US and the only non-profit organization in the security industry.
“Like the Red Cross and CrimeStoppers, our business is helping people,” CEO Bryan Lagarde said. “Because we are not focused on making a profit, people trust us with their privacy and we are effective.”
Bryan Lagarde is the brain behind Project NOLA. He spends his day studying gang members in small towns and major cities across the US. (FoxNews)
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The project started in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina to help the police department at a time when crime was rising and officers’ homes were destroyed. Today, it has expanded to a nationwide operation.
“The cameras are literally from coast to coast,” Lagarde said. “From California, Florida, New Jersey and many points in between.”
With agencies scrambling for manpower across the US, Project NOLA security cameras can fill in the gaps by putting more eyes on high-crime areas.
“The work is hard,” Lagarde said. “We see some of the worst that humanity has to offer, but part of what makes it worthwhile is knowing that we are helping to see justice done.”
Using AI, the cameras alert Project NOLA if they detect illegal activity and Project NOLA can inform law enforcement. Authorities can also review video after a crime is committed to find suspects and use them as evidence in court.
This is a sample of the video streams that Project NOLA may share publicly. These screens typically display cameras in crime-ridden neighborhoods so staff can study gang members’ movements and interactions. (FoxNews)
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“Cameras don’t lie,” Lagarde said. “If someone says I didn’t commit this crime, I was at my mom’s house, the camera says no, you did this crime and you weren’t at your mom’s house.”
Through donations, Project NOLA provides high-end security cameras to homeowners, businesses, schools, churches, etc. for free. Customers only have to pay an annual fee of around $300 for cloud storage.
“Business owners and residents are realizing the importance of helping local law enforcement,” Largarde said. “It’s a community effort, especially with the manpower issues right now in law enforcement, it’s virtually impossible for them to do it alone.”
This year, Lagarde says the cameras have already helped law enforcement in hundreds of cases. With New Orleans claiming the title of “America’s Murder Capital” by 2022, business owners say cameras are crucial.
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The Three Legged Dog, a tavern in the French Quarter, was the first business to receive a Project NOLA camera at its inception. The bar is located on the corner of one of the busiest streets in the tourist district.
“Over the last decade, these cameras have assisted NOPD in hundreds of crimes in the French Quarter,” said bar owner Tim Blake. “I couldn’t run my business without them.”
A few blocks down Royal Street, Valobra Jewelry & Antiques is home to some of the newer Project NOLA cameras.
“A few months ago, the camera I had installed outside my jewelry store was used to identify a mugger who pointed a knife at someone in the French Quarter,” owner Franco Valobra said. “Facial recognition technology recognized his face and he was arrested.”
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Project NOLA says facial recognition software is only used in cities where the technology is legal. Most video streams are also only stored for 10 days, unless a crime is caught.
“We don’t monetize any of our data,” Lagarde said. “We don’t sell it. We don’t share it. Any video is only given to law enforcement.”
