Councilman Tim Leigh used his electronic newsletter today to make the case for surveillance cameras downtown.
The City Council will consider the proposal today on first reading. The meeting starts at 1 p.m. at City Hall, 107 N. Nevada Ave.
Here is Leigh’s newsletter:
Is the downtown is safe or not? How do you feel about sending your 13 year old daughter, granddaughter, or niece, (or for that matter), your wife to the downtown? Exactly. . .
The point of installing cameras in the downtown is to help ensure greater public safety.
Cameras multiply the eyes watching downtown which help the police department respond to any call for action quickly. Cameras are not a panacea. They are merely 1 arrow in a broad public safety quiver. They are a single step in the right (direction).
Cameras are a force multiplier
– A force multiplier is simply a way to multiply the number of police officers
– A larger police force prevents unnecessary criminal or other unruly activity
The capital cost for cameras is roughly equivalent to the annualized cost of 2 foot-patrol officers
– Once the capital cost is made, there are no additional capital costs
– Once the capital cost is made, there are no legacy costs
– Legacy costs include health insurance
– Legacy costs include PERA
Cameras are the least expensive way to watch-for nefarious activity in the downtown
Why should a tax payer from outside the downtown be willing to pay for cameras? – because we need a safe downtown. People who study these issues say, “As the downtown goes, so goes the city”. If we want a robust city, we must have a vibrant downtown.
To create vibrancy, we need greater population and financial density downtown. (For reference, think of shopping mall foot traffic.)
Without greater population and financial density, desirable shops cannot locate downtown because they can’t afford the rent
Without greater population and financial density, the value of downtown commercial buildings decreases
– Decreasing property values produces attendant decreases in commercial property tax revenue to the general fund
Decreasing revenue in the general fund decreases the city’s ability to pay for other public safety needs; roads, parks, pools, and the general promotion of a high quality of life
To create population and financial density we need primary employer’s downtown. To attract primary employers downtown, it needs to be safe. Included in the mix of promoting downtown safety and vibrancy are cameras.
Pay attention. Be informed. Keep it real.
You still need more police to respond to whatever “nefarious” activity the volunteers monitoring the cameras observe. This is not a viable solution and is probably tied to someone paying back the business who is going to get the money for delivering and setting up the cameras. Why don’t you suggest cameras for the Red Rocks Shopping Center area? I would rather have sworn officers on patrol than volunteers watching cameras – wouldn’t that be great if we end up with our own George Zimmerman situation.
If Mr. Leigh were to interview 1,000 people at random and ask how safe they feel downtown, how many would say: “I feel safe?”
We did. So far, 778 have said they feel safe and cameras will make then no safer. We will keep our on-line survey running until the last day before the vote of you would care to participate. Thank you
http://www.springsunigroup.org/Downtown-Surveillance-Cameras.html
Cameras will only tell you what happened yesterday – they will not prevent anything.
Today’s criminal has shown no fear of being caught on camera – evidenced by the multitude of TV shows – most are not in the least bit deterred.
If a business decides to spend money on cameras on their property, go for it – and I can choose not to patronize, but those who will allow camers in the public square do so at great peril to constitutional freedoms.
This issue has never been about safety. At the meeting business owners were complaining of pan handlers and homeless people. City Council voted in favor of the business owners of downtown NOT what the residents wanted. Business owners stated that the crime downtown was causing shoppers to not want to shop downtown. Instead of fighting an imaginary crime spree that is happening downtown why don’t the police department focus on real crime areas. Make all of Colorado Springs safer not just one area.
The only thing’s wrong with downtown is access. Parking is the biggest problem that and there’s only a few shops. Lots of places to get a Beer but not a lot for families to do. That’s why there’s not anybody going there. Panhandlers are everywhere anymore so if that’s why they say the cameras are needed then we need them at 8th street and Star Ranch and What used to be Mall of the Bluffs. What a waste of money and time.
Nowhere have I seen the labor cost. Who monitors the cameras? Does this use patrol officers that normally would be on the street? Hours of coverage? Normally you need at least four people to provide 24 hour 7 day coverage. What about other parts of city? Shopping center parking lots? Something doesn’t make sense.
Bill Everett
Mountain Shadows
I think they should be streamed on the internet for citizens to watch.
I also hope that the police are prepared to hand the tapes over when one of their own is accused of misconduct downtown.
Bill, the Police Chief wants volunteers that they train to watch the cameras. The 188,000 is supposed to cover the cost of cameras (which I am guessing will cover install) the only problem is there is no mention of upgrades or maintenance in the future. This is a pilot program which means to me that if they like the cameras the will expand the program to other parts of the city. Right now they are just going to put them up in areas around Tejon Street.