Washington Metro plans to install 153 security cameras at the entrances of its rail stations and is also considering recruiting auxiliary police officers to improve security.

Metro Transit Police Chief Michael Taborn said the cameras, which will be funded by a $2.8 million grant from the Department of Homeland Security, will allow police to monitor station entrances 24 hours a day. They will assist with managing crowds and with capturing evidence of crimes and will be installed over the next six months to a year, he said.

The cameras will be the first to film the exterior of the entrances to Metro’s 86 stations, and will take video of sufficient quality for use in identifying crime suspects, Taborn said. “They will be able to see people coming and going,” he said.

The current Metro cameras are used inside stations and are decades old, producing low-quality images inadequate for use as evidence.