Photo by Carsten Koall/Getty Images

The District launched a new program today that will help low-income residents get free home security cameras.

The Private Security Camera Voucher Program expands the Private Security Camera Incentive Program, which launched in February 2016 to help deter crime and assist in police investigations across the city (including a recent hit and run in Trinidad).

The incentive program allows District residents and business owners who purchase, install, and register security camera systems to get up to $750 from the city depending on how many cameras are purchased and if they’re on a residential or commercial property.

The city has approved over 2,200 rebates for more than 5,500 cameras, according to a release from Mayor Muriel Bower’s office. “The cameras have been a blast,” Tenleytown resident Marcello Muzzatti told DCist. He’s says he used the cameras he got through the program to help identify suspects in a robbery and a fender bender, and has shamed a number of dog owners who didn’t pick up their pets’ poop from his lawn.

The latest iteration of the plan targets residents who may not be able to afford a camera on their own and then wait for a rebate. It’s for people who can prove they’re on public assistance from one of the following programs: General Assistance for Children; Emergency Shelter Family Services; Temporary Assistance for Needy Families; Program on Work, Employment, and Responsibility; or Interim Disability Assistance.

If they’re eligible, someone will come to their homes and install the camera system for them. The cameras will be registered with the Metropolitan Police Department, whose officers will be able to request footage for investigations.

The voucher program is limited to residents who live in certain areas until August 30, then it will open up to anyone who qualifies.