INDIANAPOLIS — In Indianapolis there is an effort to bring customers back to the heart of the city.
"Really with everything going on with the pandemic I'm trying to encourage folks to come back downtown and patronize businesses down here," said Dan Nutty.
Nutty is the executive director of the Indy Public Safety Foundation, that's the non-profit group that serves as a bridge between businesses and the city's public safety agencies. He says part of a group effort to secure downtown is adding security cameras throughout the area. Several of them will be outside St. Elmo's and Harry and Izzy's.
"With this installation we're including 15 camera views along Illinois and Georgia street," said Nutty.
Having cameras in downtown Indianapolis is nothing new, especially in this area. But this is the first time IMPD will have a direct link to see what's going on in real time.
The newly installed security cameras are part of the B-Link Indy initiative which gives IMPD access to cameras outside homes and businesses across the city. The B-Link Pro program is intended for businesses, like Harry and Izzy's, will allow police to watch the cameras live after receiving a 9-1-1 call from the area. Nutty says IMPD and local businesses are united in keeping customers and employees safe as the fight to survive the pandemic continues.
"The perception of safety downtown is what we are dealing with. It's shown through the numbers that it's a very safe place, but we want people to feel comfortable coming back downtown," said Nutty.
Downtown Indy Inc is helping pay for the installation of the cameras, which will then become property of the 35 businesses that have shown interest in the program. The b-link program is funded in part by $750,000 dollars from the city and downtown recovery committee.
