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Police Say Neighborhood Surveillance Cameras Would Help Reduce Crime By David McArthur 11/18/05 |
This article focuses on the benefits of using
surveillance cameras to catch crime as it happens.
LOUISVILLE — Police may soon be catching criminals in the act, and they may never see an officer. Following a trend in other cities, Louisville is considering an investment in
surveillance cameras to monitor high crime and high traffic areas. WAVE 3's David McArthur investigates.
Watching after the increasingly busy city, keeping up with the people by car or foot is an endless task for limited police resources.
But reinforcements of the electronic kind may be on the way.
It's not a new concept, as Mayor Jerry Abramson explained Wednesday. "When you see what they've done in Cincinnati and what they've done in Chicago, they not only can be hidden, they can be protected."
He was talking about strategically placed
surveillance cameras designed to watch for crimes like these already in place in Cincinnati.
Metro Police Chief Robert White is requesting $300,000 for a pilot program to install
surveillance cameras in several Louisville neighborhoods, and he already has some specific locations in mind.
If a crime is caught on a
surveillance camera, the images will help bring suspects to court. But Chief White says its biggest advantage will be what isn't seen.
"Initially, they will probably serve as us making arrests," White said. "Once those that are committing crimes find out we have
surveillance cameras, and they are not exactly sure where they are, it will serve as a deterrent.
If funding is approved, White says police will target six to eight neighborhoods with
surveillance cameras. If the program proves successful, more cameras will be added in other locations to keep officers on patrol while keeping an eye on the busiest areas.
The first
surveillance cameras could be in place by spring.
Source: wave3.com
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