Sad, recently there has been a bit of news about CCTV Cameras that has mostly stayed hidden in mainstream media because Kansas City power brokers like to operate clandestinely.
PRICEY AND OFTEN INEFFECTIVE CAMERAS TO SPY ON THE URBAN CORE ARE COMING SOON TO KANSAS CITY!!!
Take a look . . .
City officials mulling over crime-fighting cameras
James' plan to install CCTV draws heat from ACLU
It gets worse . . .
MAYOR SLY IS USING AN INEFFECTIVE EXAMPLE TO PROMOTE KANSAS CITY CCTV SPYING!!!
"Kansas City Mayor Sly James says it could be effective. The mayor wants to start the pilot program in a high crime area. James says people are caught on tape frequently. "Frankly people would be surprised at how often they're on closed-circuit television, and if you go to London, I don't think you can go anywhere without being on closed-circuit television," said James. A report from the British Broadcasting Corporation references an internal police survey showing London's system hasn't been very effective."
Read the rest of the article for a bit more detail about what could be a court fight over discriminatory placement of these cameras.
Here's a bit more detail about the bad example Mayor Sly is setting for fighting Kansas City crime . . .
From The London Evening Standard:
THE GUARDIAN UK: CCTV boom has failed to slash crime, say police
I'm not sure exactly why Mayor Sly is touting a busted system and wanting to bring it to Kansas City . . . Still, it's another disturbing trend that so many politicos would rather focus Kansas City crime prevention on expensive machines than dealing with neighborhoods and urban core communities.
DEVELOPING . . .
They want more red light cameras too.
ReplyDeleteI would rather have these crime fighting cameras versus the red light cameras. Remote viewing of high crime areas by police makes sense. It also will allow police to identify suspects and suspect vehicles leaving the scene of crimes. Although I do not like KCPD,(they are a lazy bunch) and do not like big brother watching, with 114 homicides plus each year, we need to make sacrifices and allow some government intrusion until the good guys can reclaim the city. More importantly, KCPD should partner with private business and neighborhood associations to purchase these systems. Every store in the urban core should have a modern surveillance system both inside and outside their business. Start catching these thugs on camera and posting their pictures on the nightly news and see them get caught one by one.
ReplyDeleteIf they don't work in London and that's the example the Mayor uses why would they work in Kansas City?
ReplyDeleteYou let government a toe hold with even a few CCTV it will expand to watch everyone all the time and become intrusive. Look at how red light camera has expanded.
ReplyDeleteWhy can't we repurpose the scout cameras?
DeleteThey'll try anything rather than hold the thugs to some minimal level of civil behavior.
ReplyDeleteCommunity centers, cameras, night hoops, curfews, millions of dollars on "projects", maybe even some babysitting at taxpayers' expense.
But not a word about parental supervision or personal responsibility.
Nothing's going to change.
Agree, parent are to blame for our streets and our schools.
ReplyDeleteWant to know a better plan?
ReplyDeleteBuild more jails.
@9:07 USA already leads the world in number of people incarcerated, more jails is not the answer! @8:04 We already have a mass majority of the black fathers in this city locked up so a single mom can't be expected to control her kids alone. @7:16, London and KCMO two completely different cities. Cameras in London were able to identify the suspects responsible for the subway attacks in 2005 and the city is surrounded by cameras that record every vehicle and driver entering the city. Given the fact that have been safe for several years is a testament to the camera system and a reason why NYC wants to add more cameras to their city. Like I said in my earlier post, I would rather have crime cameras and not red light cameras.
ReplyDeleteYou have not identified one reason why it doesn't work in London but we expect it to work in KC.
ReplyDeleteWhy don't you answer the question?
Why should this work here when it has failed everywhere else?
We aren't New York or London and this won't stop so many domestic murders.
Shame on the Mayor for supporting such nonsense.
Here in the Golden Ghetto, we have cameras everywhere. One time I lost my purse, and the manager of the Leawood Price Chopper found it for me with the closed circuit security camera system.
ReplyDeleteDo we need a camera at Ranch Mart? I dont know, but I am glad it is there. Our son and his wife own a little coffee shop in the GG, and the first thing they did when they bought it was install two cameras, which can be accessed remotely.
Seeing what is going on is not important, but it is important to have it in place for safety of the employees.
Security systems and cameras are cheap and are very, very good now. They are digital, not on a grainy VHS system. Nobody who is not breaking the law should fear them, and customers should demand them for their own safety.
Bring on the cameras folks, we have nothing to fear except for the lawbreakers that they catch.
There are a number of cameras in high crime areas throughout KCMO and almost half of them don't even work.
ReplyDeleteYou might have noticed that KCMO is really good a buying nifty new stuff, but not so good at maintaining anything.
These $200,000 cameras will be broken and forgotten in no time. If you're not going to maintain them, it would be cheaper just to buy fake cameras from the start.
A city that works!
I advocate a hybrid system, one that allows home owners to get the cameras cheaply and then install them such that they point out onto public streets and sidewalks. First, homeowners get a deduction (or a reduced rate) for having security cameras at their home (in most cases, check your insurance agent for more details). Secondly, we do not have to rely on government to purchase and install these systems.
ReplyDeleteThese private camera networks could then be accessed by *anyone* at *any time* and they would record activity and store it (for some period of time) such that if you needed to review a video (due to a crime having occurred) you could do so.
This is a system that is independent of the city insofar as it is not a police-state system.
Deterrence is what this system is supposed to achieve. And while I know that many people are hesitant to accept these "Big Brother" type measures, I think that having the system be wholly supported by private individuals would go a long way in making the system safe from government spying. Also, the government is already spying on you if you are an internet user so.... deal with that issue first.
LAstly, I live in one of these areas - I have had a sustained rape of a 71 year old woman happen two blocks away - nightly gunshots and rampant crime. The city gov't is not handling this at all, instead it is focusing on the All Star game and parking garages. We need something to help dissuade would-be criminals from perpetrating aggressive crimes in our neighborhoods. Cameras (privately owned and deployed) are one part of the solution.
MY two cents.
J. W, Helkenberg
We have outside security cameras on our rooftop as well as motion activated lighting all around the house. Want to come and rob us? I wouldn't recommend it because you are going to get caught. These kinds of systems don't cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Any handy guy can install them himself, and they are getting less espensive all the time.
ReplyDeleteWe cannot rely on our law enforcement "professionals" to enforce the law, so it is up to us as concerned citizens to take care of ourselves.
I'd expect an overweight politician to take the lazy approach to policing our community. First, the redlight cameras and a police station smack dab in the center of a neighborhood. Now, cameras in the bushes for when the police aren't looking. Hey, Sly? If you want to get to know us better, trying knocking on our door and talking to us... Promise to be candid and spirited!
ReplyDeleteWhat does Tracy Ward say about this? Does she support it? I really value her opinion. God I crack myself up with this bullshit.
ReplyDelete