FEDERAL WAY, Wash. -- Most of Britain has been under the gaze of closed-circuit cameras for years. Now a growing number of US cities are piloting their own CCTV systems, and the first here in Washington may be in Federal Way.

"These are on intersections and high crime areas around the mall," explains Cathy Schrock of Federal Way Police.

Over the last year, 25 cameras have been installed in the downtown core for testing and evaluation, but now the system is ready to be put to use full time.

A live feed from each camera is piped back into a room inside police headquarters where officers and citizen volunteers watch all day and all night.

"These are high tech cameras. They can pan, tilt and zoom," says Schrock, adding that the video is also recorded.

The project is being called 'Safe City' and is a partnership between the Target corporation, local Federal Way businesses and the city.

Similar networks are in use in cities like Boston and Minneapolis, but Schrock says Federal Way is the first to have an operational system in the Pacific Northwest.

Last month, after several bank robberies in neighboring cities, detectives trained several of the cameras on the entrances of banks in downtown Federal Way. Within days one of the banks was robbed and police had a perfect view of the robber's getaway car.

"Its really priceless evidentiary material," says Schrock.

But local business owners hope the cameras will also deter crime. That's why Federal Way police will be holding an open house May 27 to show the public how the cameras work. The more the public knows about the cameras the more likely criminals are to know they exist as well.

"We want them to know we are out there," and watching, Schrock says.

Federal Way is expecting to spend nearly $40,000 in utility tax money every year to maintain the system. The Federal Way Chamber of Commerce, however, is in the process of forming a non-profit to raise money to help sustain the program.