Northwest Indiana Discussion

http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/hammond/new-cameras-monitor-high-crime-areas/article_d4e63de1-6b53-5bd6-b1f7-e3de4622cfe4.html

Hammond - New cameras monitor high-crime areas

By Vanessa Renderman vanessa.renderman@nwi.com, (219) 933-3241 nwitimes.com | Posted: Wednesday, November 2, 2011 12:00 am | 1 Comment

HAMMOND | Hammond is adding eyes in the sky to curtail crime.
A federal grant helped buy five mounted security cameras that film a 360-degree view of an intersection.

Hammond Police Chief Brian Miller, who refers to the devices as "crime-fighting cameras," said the first camera was installed at the intersection of Lyons Street and Tapper Avenue.

"It is working and operational," he said. "We're going to put the rest of them up in the next month."

Miller said the cameras will go where there is high criminal activity. The cameras will provide a live feed to the department's radio room. Officers will be able to pull up the streaming images in their squad cars, too.

All of the cameras should be in place and functional in the next few months.

The department is working out some glitches, Mayor Thomas McDermott Jr. said.

If the cameras are successful, the city could expand the program. McDermott said he would like to have cameras at all exits off of Interstate 80/94, filming drivers entering and exiting the city.

That way, people suspected of committing crimes will have their license plate information caught on camera.

"We're like an island at that point," he said.

McDermott said he doesn't care if he is criticized for what some may see as Big Brother tactics.

"This is the future," he said of the technology.

When criminals realize there are cameras in the area, they will go somewhere else, Miller said.

"It's been very effective in Chicago and other suburbs," he said.

One nearby city had to keep relocating its cameras to follow the criminals, he said.

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Posted in Hammond on Wednesday, November 2, 2011 12:00 am | Tags: Local News, Hammond


Read more: http://http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/hammond/new-cameras-monitor-high-crime-areas/article_d4e63de1-6b53-5bd6-b1f7-e3de4622cfe4.html#ixzz1cWWMwDSS

I want more police on the street, not cameras.

Halt! or I'll snap your picture!!!

Now the question is who is getting paid to put those cameras up, how much it cost.

Tom is right a head of that curve..... camera's do not reduce and or solve crimes.

This law enforcement trend started in the United Kingdom in 1986

London has one of the most extensive video camera systems and the article reads: Tens of thousands of CCTV cameras, yet 80% of crime unsolved http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23412867-tens-of-thousands-of-cctv-cameras-yet-80-of-crime-unsolved.do


A whole series of articles indicates cameras are not as effective as you might think: http://www.notbored.org/cameras-not-effective.html



Law enforcement officials are usually the most positive about the crime cameras. Some of the recent statistics provided by U.S. police departments claim the following drops in crime rates:
•Baltimore: 17 percent [source: Tanneeru]
•New York City housing projects: 36 percent [source: Lee]
•Philadelphia: 37 percent [source: Shields]

On the flip side, of the 73 cameras installed in Washington, D.C. since 2006, none have provided footage that has helped solve any crimes [source: Washington Post]. Also, the New York Police Department reported a 30 percent drop in crime in a tough neighborhood in the Bronx after camera installation [source: Lee]. However, the camera installations coincided with increased police patrols.

Nevertheless, the 2005 Home Office study revealed that the cameras did not produce enough bang for the buck. Federal and state governments have poured millions into the set-up and upkeep of crime cameras, but the Home Office study revealed that they were underutilized and not fully integrated into police strategies [source: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs05/hors292.pdf].


With Tom the picture is not as clear as you might think! Was the contract with a "friend"? Was there a contribution made to a political campaign?

You tell us.

News accounts state that outside remotely CCTV cameras do not reduce crime. The stories are far from thr truth.
Chicago has many cameras and have captured many crimes as they happen and many arrests have been made. The Oklahoma Bombing was solved by an outside camera. Getting back to Chicago, they are installing more cameras on a daily basis and will continue to do so. Just a couple of montha ago when a girl had acid thrown in her face. The camera captured the whole thing and they got the culprit. The women that was thrown down the El train stairs and was killed. They got the guy after reviewing the recordings. How about Elizabeth Smart. Again a cameras lead to the arrest. In many cases, cities and towns install cameras from un qualified individuals that are contributors to political camapaigns. They lack the experience to make a proper installation.
The installation is the big item. Why did Munster have to change the system, after they found out it was not doing it's job. In Hammond they had cameras installed at city hall you know the story, a guy got by the cameras and then killed his wife on the top floor. Very poor installation was the outcome. Hammond installed cameras on 169th st years ago. They are as effective as Orphan Anne being the Chief of Detectives. Every Tom Dick and Harry got into the camera business with no experience. Many were alarm companies and electrical contractors. Make big campaign contributions and forget about the experience. How about the Main Libray, they installed a big system. It's was black and white. They hadn't installed cameras in that range for years, but a company sold them a bill of goods. Individuals with knowledge in CCTV have viewed the cameras installed in Hammond and have some questions already. That's one thing that is done. After a installation, the other dealers review the job as I have friends in the business that tell me about this practice. They remarked they have never ever seen where 2 dome cameras have been installed on one pole. If a camera was installed correctly, there wouldn't be a need for two. At the big Federal Building, why did the company go nuts on the job and in the long run, have to make major changes after they found out the system wasn't doing the job. Mainly it wouldn't work. I think that was a good reason.

Better idea.

Why doesn't McStreetCloser just close off all the streets in Hammond, including the state roads, Calumet, Indianapolis Boulevard, Kennedy, and Cline, then everyone has to walk or run.

Just more big brother from a bunch of Democrats.

For those wanting street cameras, go move to England - see how safe you feel then.

If this gives the Police an ability to identify the drug dealers and their vehicles I say go for it. They do work once you realize that any Police department is primarily reactive. They get a call about a problem then go to it, rarely do they happen upon a crime in progress.