Police across the country are using private cameras to spy on citizens.

  The nonprofit ProjectNOLA has donated 75 high-definition cameras to homeowners in high-crime areas, on the condition that they be aimed at the street.

The nonprofit group's volunteers already monitor crime scanners, but now they can link remotely to any camera in the area and, if appropriate, send fresh footage via cell phone to detectives, sometimes "as they drive up to the crime scene for the first time," said ProjectNOLA founder Bryan Lagarde, who noted that he hopes to add more cameras in hot spots in coming months.

In the French Quarter, Gernon said the NOPD is able to remotely access video at several bars on Bourbon Street. "We call first, get permission and log into the systems," he said.

Other cities, such as Chicago and Atlanta, combine public-private systems more formally, by compiling maps of all private surveillance systems or creating integrated systems that allow police departments, under certain conditions, to view live footage from thousands of private systems. It does not appear the NOPD does that, although the department did not provide information about its agency-wide approach to seeking and using surveillance footage.

Public crime cameras can be "incredibly helpful, but mostly in combination with private cameras." said police superintendent Ronal Serpas, who basically shut down the public system because the city's tight budget couldn't support it.
http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2012/01/new_orleans_cops_relying_on_p.html