How Lancaster’s Camera Network Became a Force Multiplier for Police
Lancaster, Pa., once struggling with rising crime, open-air drug markets and neighborhood decline in the late 1990s, has transformed into a model for community-driven public safety. A grassroots initiative launched more than two decades ago has evolved into one of the nation’s most effective community-supported video security networks, powered by Milestone Systems’ XProtect open-platform video management software (VMS).
For the city of nearly 60,000, whose economy relies heavily on tourism, the impact has been significant. Video evidence availability has risen from 55 percent to more than 90 percent, supporting faster case resolution and stronger prosecutions. In 2023 alone, operators provided live video support to 911 dispatchers during more than 4,100 incidents. Downtown streets that were once empty now report thriving pedestrian activity and a resurgence of businesses.
Technology infrastructure enables community success
The Lancaster Safety Coalition, a nonprofit separate from law enforcement but closely partnered with police, manages the system. Milestone XProtect serves as the foundation for the city’s scalable infrastructure, designed and maintained by systems integrator App-Techs Corporation. The network includes about 170 4K quad-sensor cameras strategically positioned throughout Lancaster. The open-platform architecture allows the system to integrate more than 13,000 security devices from over 700 manufacturers, enabling camera selection based on location needs and cost-effective expansion.
“What makes this project remarkable is the synergy between the technology partners and our community vision,” said Tim Miller, executive director of the Lancaster Safety Coalition. “The open platform from Milestone, the technical expertise from App-Techs, and our community-driven approach created a formula that’s yielded extraordinary results. We’ve seen crime rates plummet, businesses return to downtown, and most importantly, neighbors are reclaiming their streets.”
The system operates as a force multiplier for local police, with officers working alongside Coalition operators during investigations and warrant service. A custom digital evidence delivery system ensures strict chain-of-custody compliance, allowing secure transfer of video evidence via a browser-based interface.
In one case, operators tracked a shooting suspect from the crime scene to their residence within 15 minutes, leading to an immediate arrest. The Coalition plans to add approximately 20 more cameras over the next two years — its largest geographic expansion since 2009 — focusing on areas still facing safety challenges.
