Sep 28, 2009 12:31 pm US/Pacific
ACLU Knocks Sacramento Surveillance Camera Plan
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) ―
Privacy concerns versus safety. It's an age-old debate that is brewing again as the city of Sacramento looks into surveillance cameras.
City leaders say the cameras are used to catch criminals but the ACLU disagrees.
The controversy is over a proposal to put up more than 30 surveillance cameras around the city via a grant from homeland security. But the ACLU calls it a flat-out invasion of privacy.
"We're talking about surveillance cameras out in public. Like over there, over here and over here," explained Jim Updegraff of the ACLU. "There is no evidence that has been presented by the city that indicates that these surveillance cameras will lower the crime rate here in Sacramento."
The ACLU even handed out a study arguing the cameras would not reduce crime. In fact, they argue the cameras could lead to racial profiling.
But the Sacramento Police Department rejects the racial profiling claims.
They say the cameras would be used after a crime happened not monitored constantly.
"Surveillance cameras do work in solving crimes. Whether it reduces crime? We believe so but that's a little harder to gauge because how do you gauge that something that is not occurring?" said Sacramento Police Sgt. Norm Leong.
The city council and mayor will vote on the proposal Tuesday night.
The city already has some surveillance cameras up in the Del Paso Heights area and say they have been helpful. But at the same time, they could not produce any numbers about how many crimes may have been prevented or helped solve.
"We're talking about surveillance cameras out in public. Like over there, over here and over here," explained Jim Updegraff of the ACLU. "There is no evidence that has been presented by the city that indicates that these surveillance cameras will lower the crime rate here in Sacramento."
The ACLU even handed out a study arguing the cameras would not reduce crime. In fact, they argue the cameras could lead to racial profiling.
But the Sacramento Police Department rejects the racial profiling claims.
They say the cameras would be used after a crime happened not monitored constantly.
"Surveillance cameras do work in solving crimes. Whether it reduces crime? We believe so but that's a little harder to gauge because how do you gauge that something that is not occuring?" said Sacramento Police Sgt. Norm Leong.
The city council and mayor will vote on the proposal Tuesday night.
The city already has some surveillance cameras up in the Del Paso Heights area and say they have been helpful. But at the same time, they could not produce any numbers about how many crimes may have been prevented or helped solve.
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