Slaughter Beach moves forward with security camera upgrades

SLAUGHTER BEACH, Del. — Slaughter Beach officials are moving ahead with plans to upgrade the town’s aging security camera system, a step they say will strengthen public safety and give investigators better tools when incidents occur.

Town leaders want clearer video coverage along Bay Avenue, including the town’s main entrances and exits, and around the fire station. The current cameras are outdated and often struggle to capture readable license plates, especially in low light.

“The improvement would let us access camera footage more quickly, with a license plate reader that’s more accurate,” Town Manager Julia Geha said. “Right now, we can only get a plate if the lighting is good and we know the exact timeline we’re looking for. A better, upgraded system would be much faster.”

The push for improved technology follows a June incident in which masked suspects opened fire at a party near the firehouse. Investigators said limited camera clarity made the case more difficult to solve.

“We don’t have crime to speak of, but if you don’t have cameras, you’re not being proactive,” Geha said. “We don’t know if porch pirates are becoming a bigger thing; we don’t know what could come next. Everyone here is mostly safety conscious.”

Town leaders say their goal is to have the new camera system installed before summer, giving residents and law enforcement better monitoring and more reliable video evidence when needed.