Currently, twenty police surveilance cameras are located in high crime areas around the city. Some of them have been in place since 2006. However, if you are looking for real data on their effectiveness, you won’t have much luck. No one has really been tracking how these tools work in the fight against crime.
The cameras are on street corners in some of the toughest neighborhoods and can be panned to get footage from 360 degrees. They can collect images from up to 3 blocks away and would seem to be a valuable tool. Some, however, claim the cameras only move the problem rather than eliminate it.
Fifty four cameras are currently in place. This includes 34 cameras permanently affixed to watch city and state facilities. These cameras, in all, cost taxpayers $1 million. Within the next few years, the city hopes to add 50 more using federal grants.
Studies about the effectiveness of cameras like these vary across the country and around the globe. According to this story from the Indy Star, Chicago showed a dramatic decrease in crimes overall and specific drug crimes while similar program in San Francisco only seemed to affect property crimes. In London, where cameras are prevalent, there was no indication that they decreased crime.
If there is no solid research backing the effectiveness of these cameras in Indianapolis, why are we getting 50 more? It seems the city would be served by some data that this equipment has any effect on the crime or arrest rates at all before we use the resources to erect and maintain more of them.
More than likely if you are facing criminal charges in Indianapolis, you were not arrested because of footage on a surveillance camera. Fighting criminal charges in the Indiana court system takes a local attorney with your best interests in mind. Contact me for a consultation on your case today.