Kastle increases its commitment to keeping District occupants safe by integrating CapitalShield’s existing 1,000+ camera video surveillance network into MPD’s newly launched Real-Time Crime Center and pledging another 1,000 cameras to enable commercial property owners, businesses, and institutions to share live video footage.
Kastle Chairman, Mark Ein joined Washinton D.C. Mayor, Muriel Bowser, and Chief of Police of D.C. MPD, Pamela Smith, to formally announce the expanded program.
Falls Church, VA, April 8, 2024: Kastle, a leader in property technology and managed security, is pledging to expand its CapitalShield video surveillance program for use by the Washington D.C. Metro Police Real-Time Crime Center (RTCC) by committing all current cameras on the CapitalShield network and by donating an additional 1,000 cameras to expand CCTV coverage in the District. Kastle Chairman Mark Ein joined Washington D.C. Mayor, Muriel Bowser, MPD Police Chief, Pamela Smith, and other officials in a joint press conference on Monday morning to launch the RTCC and to announce the expanded program.
Kastle launched CapitalShield with the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Police Department in 2015 as a private-public partnership to use video camera technology to protect the city and make its neighborhoods safer. Through this program, commercial property owners, businesses, and institutions help enhance public safety by providing MPD with direct access to their security cameras for either live video streams or smart video searches for recorded footage. This enables first responders to quickly gain the situational awareness required to assist citizens during emergency situations.
Kastle originally donated over 400 Kastle Video cameras to the launch of CapitalShield program, and this network of cameras has since grown to over 1,000 locations city-wide. Program participants attach these cameras to their buildings for their own use, but also grant the MPD the ability to view their video during emergencies and for active investigations. In this second phase of the program, Kastle will now donate another 1,000 security cameras in support of the newly launched RTCC.
Kastle has worked with leading real estate companies in D.C., including Akridge, Hoffman Associates, and JBG Smith, to launch this program and are now adding new partners including Bozzuto and Red Brick to CapitalShield. Kastle’s unique role in securing so many prominent District customers and premier properties was pivotal in forming the network coalition.
“The CapitalShield Program connects private sector security cameras to MPD’s Real Time Crime Center for accessing during critical situations,” says MPD Police Chief, Pamela Smith. “My hope is that we can continue to expand this partnership — MPD’s ability to respond improves as more businesses and institutions participate.”
“To ensure Public Safety in our communities, we need to use the best technology tools available and engage everyone in the community to come together and be part of the solution,” said Kastle Chaiman, Mark Ein. “At Kastle, we are pleased to initiate this impactful public-private partnership that will greatly increase the number of real time cameras available to the Metropolitan Police Department for stopping and solving crimes.”
Ein continued, “We are grateful to our supportive customers who represent many of the preeminent property owners in the city. This is an important initiative, and we need to support the Mayor, the Chief, and the Council, to come together on this important issue.”
If you are interested in registering your business for the CapitalShield program or for more information, go to Capitalshield.org.
About Kastle
Kastle has been leading the property technology industry since 1972 with advanced technology solutions and services, protecting commercial real estate, multifamily residential, global enterprises, educational institutions, and critical government facilities from design and installation to ongoing monitoring and maintenance. Kastle delivers state-of-the-art solutions that include access control, video surveillance, visitor management, and identity management, as well as a suite of mobile security applications, all integrated on an open, standards-based platform and supported by a team of experts 24×7. Headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia, Kastle is a 2023 CREtech Real Estate Technology Award (RETAS) Grand Prize recipient.