Security cameras on public city streets in high crime areas: good idea or bad?

the city i live in has debated installing security cameras in public areas in high-crime parts of town. sounds good on the surface: more eyes equals less crime, right?

but look deeper: would you want a camera on your street corner? would you feel your privacy was invaded? how about the stigma of being told your part of town needs some extra surveillance? would you trust those viewing the images to have the best of intentions? should the public be informed where the cameras would be placed, or would that decrease their effectiveness?

what are your thoughts on this strategy? would cameras promote public safety or invade personal privacy?

http://www.dailyadvance.com/search/conte...

Great question and great points! I'm one of those annoying rule followers, so I personally wouldn't be incredibly concerned with cameras in public places. However, I don't like the idea of a camera catching me pull a out a wedgie or do some other embarrassing thing. It's one thing when someone sees you do it; it's another when it's caught on film to later be put on Youtube. I love the point you bring up about knowing where the cameras are. I'm currently on a big kick about giving people positive expectations, and knowing cameras are up in your neighborhood will only provide citizens with the thought that they live in a dangerous area. It's that whole self-fulfilling prophecy I have a problem with. There are obvious downsides to having public surveillance cameras. However, there are also some pretty obvious upsides as well. I would hate to be the family member of some victim of a crime if the possibility of cameras could have helped catch the "bad guy" only to learn that the decision was made NOT to put up cameras. I definitely see both sides. To truly answer your final question, the answer is that it would both promote public safety (with the possibility of hindering it) as well as invade personal privacy...Of course, personal privacy in public is either an oxymoron or a paradox..

Of course is a good idea to have as many security cameras as possible watching high crime area. If they are already high crime areas, they will continue as such until something is done. All is needed is a few JADV-1600 DVR and a few cameras to have effective preventative crime measures. Report It

good

Why wouldn't it? Those that fight the cameras are probably those that fear the camera. It comes down to the bottom line that if you have nothing to fear and you are not doing anything wrong then why would you fight it?

I have nothing to hide, as far as criminally goes. Put one up, I say!

if i were in a high crime area i would beg for cameras........the alternative is more crime.

If it is indeed a high crime area i don't believe there should be an issue with cameras there, however they should probably be out of reach(where i lived they would be gone within a day)... it is in some ways invading privacy, but its for the common good

its not just in high-crime areas .. theyre going up all over .. u see them sitting at many intersections even in small quiet towns ... so imo the idea is bad its just one more piece in the huge police state system they are building around us ...

I think that It would be A good Ideal.Especially In high Crime rate areas and where theres alot of drug selling.I think It would also be good around schools.

Good idea! If you don't want to be filmed, stay away from the area. They have got to come up with something to help fight crime.

Great idea. when info gets used unlawfully, deal with that then.

I think it's a good idea to have cameras in "bad" areas. Most criminals don't wanna get caught so will think twice about committing a crime on camera. As far as invading your privacy, as long as the camera can't see in your home, I don't see no invasion of privacy. The city streets are city property.

its a good idea...but some one need to police the police....lol

Good.......Hidden cameras. I think it should be done. If you have nothing to hide, why not? I also think that we should crack down on criminals, we should be more like china, hand out the death penalty for everything....P.S. They should also record sound... the technology is here already.... Are you with the good, or for the bad?

i think it is a good idea who cares where they place them, as long as it is in a public place....one thing i never understand is why do people claim it is an invasion of privacy. You do not have privacy on a city street, in a park or other public place, so how is it an invasion of privacy, unless they place the camera in your house.

Bad idea if your a criminal. Good idea if your a resident.

If a person hangs out in the street i doubt if their personal privacy is an issue,those security cameras hopefully prove to be a deter rant to all types of crimes and undoubtedly promote public safety,in this day and age our children need as many cameras as possible located in areas they frequent.

look, people take this concept of being free, and having freedoms and rights to an extreme....With freedom comes hard work and responsibility. If people are not responsible with their freedom, then like anything else we're not responsible for, we lose it.
I suppose i would be told that i'm punishing those who didn't do anything. But that's exactly the point, the people that didn't do anything wrong, also didn't do anything right. They didn't take responsibility....and now it has come down to that point where cameras are needed...perhaps, once people can act responsibly, the cameras can go down...
I don't remember who said it, but i think it would be important to say that the only thing that evil needs to prevail, is for good people to do nothing.

A camera will not stop a criminal from finding a victim. What it will do is help someone feel a little better about things because they were a victim and someone was caught and punished for their crime.

If it's a public place..........go for it.

Anything in public is fair game for camera phones, ATM security cams, we are being watched and we don't even know it.

People should feel safe on the street where they live. Parents should be able to let there kids walk to the corner store and buy a quart of milk without worrying about drive-by, or junkie or pedophile. If we have the technology to video every street in the country.

Privacy is for in private.

If it saves lives it is a bargain.