A New Jersey firm wants to use cameras that will soon be watching walkers and shoppers on the Atlantic City Boardwalk to gather demographic information for commercial use.
The Casino Reinvestment Development Authority on Tuesday agreed to issue $11 million in bonds to install as many as 230 cameras on the Boardwalk. The cameras would be placed on poles where the walkway intersects with roads and on poles used for digital advertising.
Video would be monitored by police and public safety, The Press of Atlantic City reported. But they would also be accessible to NeXomedia, the company that operates the digital displays, to gather demographic information about crowds.
David Rebuck, a member of the CRDA's board of directors and head of the state Division of Gambling Enforcement, said the project is "the first of its kind in this state" on a boardwalk. It is part of a $33 million initiative to improve the Boardwalk infrastructure.
NeXomedia is among the private companies that are funding the project, which includes installation of LED lighting, Wi-Fi equipment and cellphone charging stations on the walkway.
The $11 million will be borrowed by the Atlantic County Improvement Authority and the bonds are to be repaid by revenue generated from NeXomedia's advertising. The city gave the company permission to install the screens in exchange for 10 percent of gross advertising revenue from the displays.
