Smart Cameras Blog

[From Atlanta seeks to add 500 surveillance cameras | ajc.com]

The Urban Institute is conducting a study on the surveillance cameras in Chicago. Here is an article with their preliminary results:

Preliminary results from the study show crime has fallen in parts of both cities where the cameras are located. For example, violent crime and larcenies fell by 25 percent — or 30 incidents per month — in downtown Baltimore, starting in the fourth month after the cameras were installed in 2006, the study says. The cameras, according to the study, have helped identify suspects and getaway cars and find weapons used to commit crimes. “It has helped solve literally thousands of crimes,” Chicago police spokesman Roderick Drew said. “In fact, our detectives have reviewed over 20,000 video segments this year alone.”

The Urban Institute’s study, meanwhile, has found the cameras are not without their problems. When they automatically pan areas, they may capture only portions of a sequence of events. At night and during bad weather, they might not capture images strong enough for evidence. They are sometimes targeted by vandals. And their maintenance costs can be high.

I will be looking forward to the final study and its associated data. I don’t fully understand the results stated in the article. It took 4 months before crime fell? Maybe it was something other than the cameras?

rshah Chicago, Policy