S.F. video cameras don't deter crime, study shows

[Newsjock]

Source: San Francisco Chronicle

A new UC Berkeley study of San Francisco's 68 security cameras appears to indicate what many city officials have long suspected: The controversial devices perched at the city's roughest street corners don't have much of an effect on violent crime.

The researchers examined 59,706 crimes occurring within 1,000 feet of the cameras between Jan. 1, 2005 and Jan. 28, 2008. While homicides within 250 feet of the cameras were down, they spiked in the areas 250 to 500 feet from the cameras - indicating people just moved down the street to kill each other.

Other violent crimes had no change. The only cameras' only positive effect appears to be the 22 percent drop in property crime within 100 feet of the cameras, though people broke into cars parked near the cameras at the same rate as they did before the cameras were installed, according to the study released today.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/03/20/BA27VNC02.DTL

[phantom power]

1. There is going to come a day...

when this hardware is cheap enough that cameras will be everywhere. And there will be enough computing power behind it to automate surveillance. And that day isn't very far in the future.

[pleah]

2. It is not about detering crime!

:banghead:

[superkia]

3. It goes along with RFID I.D.'s and control. We are in for a tough...

ride and I don't think it is too far off in our future! Wiretaps, bank records, anything to help shut down the enemy...problem is, Americas real enemies are picking and choosing the definition of an enemy as they need to.

[fascisthunter]

4. No... But the Powerful Feel Safer Watching us All... I'm Sure (nt)

[brentspeak]

5. It would be nice if the cameras deterred crime, but if they help to capture criminals

then that justify having them there.

[Quantess]

6. It would be great if the videos resulted in more criminals being apprehended.

I would like to know if that is actually the case.

[ldf]

7. we sure don't have a chance to catch them

if we don't know who they are, or what they look like.

i am all for privacy, but the public street is just that, public.

what we have to do is make sure that surveillance is for crime. not spying. that IS possible.

[Quantess]

9. I agree, but video cameras won't do anyone any good

unless someone watches and analyzes the videos. The plan will fail if if resources are lacking in other areas, such as (not) having enough police detectives, or poor video quality.

[Swagman]

8. everyone should wear a Dick Cheney mask