Mayor sees cameras as potential crime deterrent

DAILY MAIL STAFF

Charleston Mayor Danny Jones envisions walls of computer monitorswhere police officers could observe images from dozens ofsurveillance cameras to fight crime.

"My vision is to have this (surveillance cameras) everywhere andto have a lot of police patrols done from the building," Jones said.

"If people know when they're committing a crime it might be onvideo, they might look for another place to do the crime."

Jones compared the use of surveillance cameras for local lawenforcement to the way such cameras are used to patrol casinos forcheaters.

The mayor and Charleston Police Department officials weredemonstrating one of the two surveillance cameras already installedby the city.

There is one camera at the old Roosevelt Junior High on the EastEnd. Seven others have been purchased. Officials are still gettingthem working. The city is considering even more to monitor other citybuildings and some high crime zones.

Although the cameras already have received criticism for theirpossible intrusion into citizens' privacy, Jones says they will be aninvaluable law enforcement tool because of their ability to see farand wide and at all times.

"All the things you do in a city are irrelevant if it's not safe,"he said. "I'm not ready to concede one city block. Cameras canprevent things from happening."

Police officials want to get their units out on the streetoutfitted with laptops to use the surveillance. They see a day whenan officer could use a tip to monitor or stop a crime about to occura couple of blocks away.

Or, a camera could capture images to help detectives successfullyconclude the investigation of a crime, Police Chief Brent Webstersaid.

"Let's say you had a crime in the area tonight," Webster said. "Wecould come back and take a look. Maybe it would be useful and maybeit wouldn't. Maybe you'd see someone's face and be able to identifyit."

Each camera cost about $1,300, police said. The cameras wereobtained through a federal Project Safe Neighborhoods grant. Buyingsuch a camera online would cost a member of the public from $1,200 to$1,400, according to recent listings.

The city has programmed the camera into its Internet network sothat anyone with a password and a computer monitor can look at whatthe camera is seeing.

Jones, Webster and a few others gathered last week and looked at acomputer monitor inside the city's police station at the oldRoosevelt Junior High on the East End.

It's sort of a testing ground for one of the two surveillancecameras the city has already installed. To drive past RooseveltJunior High, you'd never know there's an electronic eye watching you.

The camera is high above the front entrance to the old school andlooks like a white lamp.

But it lets officers see up close or far away with exceptionalclarity. Officers can rotate the camera with a mouse or joystick. Thecamera also can be set up to patrol pre-set zones.

In this case, Lt. Don Peal of the Charleston Police Departmentfocused well into the distance at the Vista View apartments, the newname for the former Spring Hill complex.

"You can see people walking," Peal commented. "Of course, youcan't see their faces."

Webster then joked, "Right behind that is Clay County."

The mayor stood behind them and looked at the computer images of awintry scene outside. The mayor was impressed.

"This is really amazing," Jones said. "It'll focus literally onthe snow."

Contact staff writer Brad McElhinny at bradmc@dailymail.com or 348-5129.