BETHLEHEM, Pa. — City Council on Tuesday approved a one-way share agreement with the state Department of Transportation that grants Bethlehem Police Department video access to, at most, two state traffic cameras on Route 378.
The cameras, oriented to the north and south near the Hill-to-Hill Bridge, and its real-time live video and images would help city police “enable the efficient and safe operation of the Pennsylvania highway systems,” according to the resolution.
“It’s just a means, similar to the news media, of being able to bring up that camera and check the traffic conditions, or if there's an accident, it could be utilized for investigative purposes.”Bethlehem Police Michelle Kott, on a new agreement granting BPD access to state traffic cameras
City Police Chief Michelle Kott assured officials, such as Councilwomen Colleen Laird and Rachel Leon, who both had questions about the extent of the new agreement, that it would grant her department access only to the footage and nothing more.
“It’s not used for enforcement,” Kott said.
“It’s just a means, similar to the news media, of being able to bring up that camera and check the traffic conditions, or if there's an accident, it could be utilized for investigative purposes.”
Kott said PennDOT decides exactly where the cameras are pointed, and the state would not be granted access to the city’s own intersection camera database as part of the deal.
'Respond more swiftly and accurately'
Bethlehem currently has a traffic camera network spanning upwards of 30 intersections around the city.
Kott previously said those cameras also are not used specifically for enforcement and instead as an investigative tool, as is the case with this new arrangement with PennDOT.
“By investing in these crucial improvements to our intersection camera system, we are sending a clear message that the safety of our community is a priority today and into the future."Bethlehem Police Chief Michelle Kott
“Advanced camera systems equipped with higher-quality cameras and real-time data analytics will help us respond more swiftly and accurately to incidents," Kott told City Council on March 18.
"And also aid in investigating crimes that happen at or near intersections."
That footage may be flagged for long-term storage in some cases, the chief said, and adding more cameras in the city when given the chance — through criminal justice grant opportunities, for example — would “hopefully correct some bad driver behavior.”
“By investing in these crucial improvements to our intersection camera system, we are sending a clear message that the safety of our community is a priority today and into the future,” Kott said in March.
