District Attorney's Office: Surveillance Cameras Coming to Regent Square

District Attorney Stephen Zappala Friday met with local leaders to discuss surveillance cameras in the Regent Square area that will be used to catch criminals and prevent crime from escalating.

Already used in the Strip District and other parts of the city, Zappala said the cameras are almost guaranteed to slow crime in the area, in addition to giving police a better idea of where criminals are coming from, along with where they are headed.

“Part of the commitment we have made to these communities in the Regent Square area is that some parts of Braddock Avenue are going to have surveillance cameras,” Zappala said. “They will be closer towards the City of Pittsburgh and I understand Swissvale also is paying for cameras.”

Three cameras will be placed along South Braddock Avenue within 60 days in an effort to curb crime and arrest people with outstanding warrants who are travelling between the various municipalities in the area.

Each camera costs about $9,000, which will come from the DA office's budget, he said.

Swissvale Borough already has made an effort to install cameras throughout the community from a grant received last year.

Zappala, who spoke with community leaders at Swissvale Borough Council Chambers, said his office got involved with the January robbery cases across the Regent Square area on Jan. 19.

At that time, more officers were sent into the neighborhood to protect the area.

and immediately surrounding communities occurred, Zappala said three arrests have been made.

was arrested in relation to the January robbery of Animal Nature at the corner of Forbes and Braddock.

Shane Shawntelle was arrested in Wilkinsburg after he was found with stolen property,

turned himself in to Swissvale Police for a of but was later let go on bail, Zappala said.

Zappala demonstrated the effectiveness of the cameras on a large screen in council chambers. License plates were zoomed into where a clear picture of the letters and numbers could be read.

Zappala said a database of wanted license plates also can be created by police with the technology. Alerts can then be sent out, hopefully allowing police to catch criminals before they get onto the parkway.

The web-based cameras are archived and also have a live feed 24 hours a day.

“We see this substantially impact communities,” Zappala said.

Zappala said he is extremely interested in adding cameras at the corner of Forbes and Braddock avenues to get a better idea of who is coming in and out of the communities, as well as arresting people with outstanding warrants.

“Hopefully this will deter a lot of the nonsense that people here have had to deal with in the last couple of months,” Zappala said.

Mayor of Swissvale Deneen Swartzwelder said she supported Zappala’s efforts.

“I have always felt cameras were a great deterrent as long as people know there are cameras up,” Swartzwelder said. “We are watching you 24/7 – don’t come into our town and do anything wrong because eventually it will catch up with you.”

She also said she appreciated the support local communities have received since the robberies.

“The DA’s office has been fantastic,” Swartzwelder said. “Anytime we have a problem and we call, they are right there.”

Edgewood Mayor Mal Hellett said he believes residents will support the cameras as well, but said everyone must be aware of privacy issues and concerns.

“I would say that if most of the residents understood the technology, they would feel comfortable having it curb crime and catch bad guys,” Hellett said. “The flip side is we have to make sure it’s used appropriately, and catch the bad guys without violating anyone’s rights.”

Edgewood Councilman Gregg Bowers, who also is the chief operating officer of the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf in Edgewood, said he was happy about the efforts being made by police and the district attorney.

“This kind of technology, along with the boroughs of Edgewood, Swissvale and Wilkinsburg working together, is really a comfort to someone who is responsible for a residential school where parents are entrusting us to make sure their kids are safe during the week,” Bowers said. “This will help that and make our neighborhood safer. Overall, I think it will be a benefit to our communities at the same time.”