By Nick Dube

Security Camera Pilot Project launching this week

Dec 23, 2025 | 4:45 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – A major component to combat downtown crime is about to go live. Downtown Prince George will launch its security camera pilot program just in time for the holiday rush.

“We’ll have to see, the proof will be in the pudding.” said downtown business owner John Zukowski when he was told that the Security Camera Pilot Project will be up and running this week. The project is a welcome addition as Prince George’s has been facing significant challenges related to crime, vandalism and safety.

“The ten cameras that we have are located throughout the C1 zone of downtown, which is the boundary that Downtown Prince Georges takes care of.” said Executive Director of Downtown Prince George Chrisie Berry.

The new pilot project is modeled after Penticton’s own camera project which has been successful and the cameras will be monitored by the same Victoria based company that serves Penticton. Optimism is high as these new cameras are state of the art and monitored which should help decrease incidents.

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“A lot of us have security cameras down here but they’re not monitored live all the time. These cameras aren’t just monitored by an actual person, but also AI technology that’s designed to detect certain safety threats such as heat signatures. Somebody will be able to call 911 immediately as something is in progress, as opposed to potentially finding out about it later.” said Berry.

The system was worked on closely by both Downtown Prince George and the RCMP to ensure the system meets the standards required for police use.

“The whole point of having video surveillance is to be proactive, not reactive. I mean, we’ve had decades of reactive, right? If we have video cameras and if they are monitored live, there’s a benefit so making it a proactive tool is is the benefit of video surveillance.” said Zukowski.

The total cost of the pilot project is $45,000 with $40,000 coming from the City of Prince George and the remaining $5,000 from Iren. The funds supported installation, the launch and monitoring cost for 12months.