The city of Indianapolis has come up with an "innovative" way to fight crime. It apparently can't afford to beef up the police department, so it is putting surveillance cameras in "high crime areas":
Instead, the mayor and the sheriff stood in the cold morning rain to announce the modest but encouraging crime-fighting initiative. With people being mugged on the Monon Trail and other places as often as Indiana kids drop out of high school, Peterson said the cameras were part of an effort "to undertake new and creative ways of fighting crime."That's good, because the old ways -- such as not hiring enough police officers and spending a year debating the color of new uniforms -- certainly aren't working.The 27 cameras will be placed in rough locales throughout the city, such as the Eastside intersection that hosted Thursday's news conference.
Sadly, I think we're so used to the disappearance of our privacy that no one even pays attention to surveillance cameras anymore. (Have you noticed all the crimes on "Cops" and other shows that are shown to us courtesy of those cameras?) The surveillance might make it easier once in a while to get a conviction against a criminal, but I don't think it's much of a preventive measure.
Comments
I'm undecided about whether or not these cameras are deterrents or not. There are good arguments on both sides of the "aisle".
In England, they serve to find subway bombers quite well...a good thing. you can't really go far withOUT being on some camera in London (about 75 times on a normal day for most citizens).
In MY neighborhood, I'd love to see them on EVERY corner...that way when I tell people what goes ON around here with these mooks...someone will have proof positive to show them.
I'm only one guy with one camera, and I've caught a LOT of "fun things" going on...most of it very illegal. But you can't be everywhere all the time..I know this firsthand...lol!
The way most criminals are today, they live with absolutely NO sense of fear, and maybe it's about time some of that was (re)introduced into their pitiful lives.
It could make the police officer's job better, the citizenry safer, and the criminals less likely to become recidivistic.
It's definitely a two-edged sword at this point.
B.G.
I'm so tired of people with no regard at all for the truth saying whatever is convenient for their own comfort that I'm inclined to forgive a certain number of cameras, particularly in high crime areas.
People might as well know that if they are truly proud of the way they live, we're going to record the behavior they think is appropriate and assure they have every opportunity to say, "Yes, I did it and I'm proud!" Why would they object?
I agree, if you aren't doing anything wrong why be bothered by cameras? It's like drivers protesting cameras at intersections to catch red light runners which in Ft Wayne there are many. If you are obeying the law, you shouldn't care. I have nothing to hide. If it helps catch criminals and deviates, go for it. I see cops who see traffic violaters that just sit there and don't do anything so the cameras will be cheaper.