CHICAGO — Mayor Lightfoot joined city leaders Monday to announce the launch of the “Home and Business Protection Program” from St. Sabina Church.

The program aims to provide reimbursements up to $1,020 for city residents to purchase, have installed, and cover subscriptions for a variety of home security devices. The program includes outdoor cameras, outdoor motion sensor lights, and GPS trackers for vehicles.

“We’ve heard from you that people want these kinds of resources not only to protect their property but to help their communities by solving crimes and increasing lighting,” Lightfoot said.

Though the Chicago Police Department has a public camera registration program, residents who take advantage of the reimbursement program will not be required to enroll in any kind of access agreement with the City or any other organization.

“This is one-stop shopping for folks who want to make sure that their home and their property are protected,” Lightfoot said.

The program is open to every resident of Chicago and applies to specified equipment purchased on June 6, 2022 or later. For those who are unable to afford the up-front cost of the equipment, Lightfoot says there will be community organizations who will assist in the initial purchase.

“Community safety requires an all-hands-on-deck approach, block by block, home by home,” Lightfoot said. “The other important factor of having the cameras and the lighting is to deter crime before it even happens.” 

The city says $5.4 million is the initial commitment to the program over the next two years.

During Monday’s announcement, Lightfoot noted she first learned of this type of program from her Washington D.C. counterpart two years ago and has been working towards Chicago’s version ever since.

This past weekend, 5 people were killed, 28 others were wounded in the city — and three law enforcement officers were shot in less than a week. The mayor blames the brazen violence on the criminal justice system, specifically the pre-trial release of defendants accused of violent crimes. 

“We’ve been seeing this building over the last few years. If people don’t feel like there’s going to be accountability for their actions, they’re going to continue to be emboldened and brazen,” Lightfoot said. “Given the exacting standards that the state’s attorney has for charging a case, which is proof beyond a reasonable doubt, when those charges are brought, these people are guilty. And of course, they’re entitled to a presumption of innocence, of course, they’re entitled to their day in court, but residents in our community are also entitled to safety from dangerous people.”

Watch the full ‘Home and Business Protection Program’ launch in the video player below: