This story is interesting, and sure to get civil liberties hyper-activists up in arms. Chicago’s Mayor Daley has predicted the city police will soon have video cameras on “almost every block.”
As the cameras only capture activities in public places, there really is no constitutional issue here. It is perfectly legal for someone to walk along the street, snapping photos of everything in sight, and there’s no reason that shouldn’t apply to the police. You have little right to privacy in public.
I’m a little more skeptical that the cameras eliminate enough crime to be worth the cost. One study showed the cameras worked better for detecting crime than for deterring it — and better on vehicle than violent crime. The analysis found a minor decrease in overall infractions. I wonder if the same money, invested in more officers, better equipment or even greater street lighting, could do more good.
Robert VerBruggen blogs at http://robertsrationale.blogspot.com.
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