Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Put A Police Camera At Clifton & Wilson

A reader writes in with a good suggestion:
"I was running errands all afternoon and early evening yesterday and I think different police were doing investigation stops at Clifton & Wilson (aka Blood Alley) almost every time I went by. How about a good old fashioned UU campaign to get a police camera on a light pole in front of Truman looking right up Clifton? It seems like the floodlights are maybe helping a little at night but that place is still Six Flags Over Public Intoxication a lot of afternoons. And if the camera can cover the front of Truman or part of the Wilson el platfrom that would be all the better.

Doesn't even need to be a big blinky blue like the one that used to be at Magnolia and Wilson, I've seen smaller more discrete ones around Sheffield and Belmont that might improve safety, or at least prosecutions, without being a beacon screaming 'Bad Neighborhood. Bad Neighborhood'."

8 comments:

  1. I'm all for this. Probably needs a couple of them to see around that curve.

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  2. Sounds like a question for a candidate seeking the Democratic Party nomination for alderman in the 46th Ward happening tonight.

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  3. Don doesn't answer Facebook messages, but maybe he does in person.

    Nowotny Event

    Tonight, 6-9, European and US Car Service, 4080 N. Broadway

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  4. The problem with police cameras is that no one watches them most of the time. Neighboring police districts use volunteer pod watchers to man the camera displays and call police attention to alleged violations in progress.

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  5. Please!!! Look how well the police camera at Magnolia and Wilson has worked. The gang bangers sit on the corner every day. Even more now than I have seen in years. Which brings me to the convenient store/internet cafe where they seem to hang out on a daily basis. Not just by the sidewalk but directly in front of the store and in the parking lot. That entire corner is a disaster. Is there anyone we can call to report this or that business for letting them loiter directly in front of the store. Its clear that they don't care about the camera or the threat of the cops.

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  6. The cameras have a recording aspect. Recordings can be reviewed That's a good thing

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  7. I've changed my mind about the effectiveness of police cameras after much thought and conversations.

    Does a camera really work in reducing crime and improving the safety of a community?

    Does a camera really help identify the persons involved in criminal activity?

    After speaking with various law enforcement people, Ceasefire, and observing how certain individuals conduct their business as usual, I've come to the conclusion cameras only benefit the company the gets paid to put them in.

    What works to make a neighborhood safe and welcoming? It's a combination of bustling retail streets with windows--eyes on the street--homes with porches and people on them, good lighting and lots of positive reasons for folks to be outside.

    There's an excellent book, Design Out Crime, that gives you the building blocks on how to design communities with safety in mind.

    By the way, Wilson Yard follows all the principles of how to design for crime.

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