GEORGETOWN, Del. - Georgetown police have set up a series of surveillance cameras and in-house monitors to keep track of the happenings in town.

Organized by Chief R.L. Hughes, the system funded through grants, is being referred to as a "situational awareness wall."

"We need to be aware of what's happening in our home town and to keep our hometown safe," Chief Hughes said.

There are roughly 50 cameras across Georgetown able to be accessed by police. Some are their own, others are local cameras used by linking into the IP addresses of businesses and apartment complexes.

"We can manipulate these cameras anyway that we want to," Hughes said. "We can put them all up on the big screens, we can move them to any of the screens... many of our cameras are pan-tilt-zoom."

Some of the cameras can also record and rewind.

Kim Sgromo works at the Upper Crust downtown and said the cameras will make her feel more safe.

"I'm relieved, I think it's really a benefit to the town to have that for safety," she said. "I think people will claim it's a breach of privacy, some, because they don't want the idea of being watched, it bothers some people {but} in businesses I think it's very important."

The system officially debuts on Return Day, this Thursday, a big parade following election night that draws in huge crowds to the Georgetown Circle.

"People... have a right to come to Georgetown, they do not have a right to come to Georgetown and commit crime," Hughes said. "If that occurs, we're going to find you."

