Surveillance Cameras

[Phil Florian]

Thinking out loud, It would seem logical to me, that the locations of the physical cameras should be known only to the police department, or those with an actual need to know.

Brick vs. Camera, brick usually wins.


Mark Allan Crnolatas

Well, Brick thrown up high enough to hit camera would be tough...and still likely that someone will be watching that happen on another camera. I think cameras need to be, if not clearly advertised, at least evident. Prevention, as brought up before, is the key word. People might think twice about doing something stupid if they think they are being watched. Sure, we might catch someone in the act with an unsuspecting perp but who wants to be the victim in that? If I am going to have a camera, put it out where everyone can see it and if people are truly scared, can use them to choose their path through a park. It isn't about catching bad guys after they hurt people...it is to prevent them from hurting people in the first place.

My 2 cents, any way.

[Phil Florian]

Google is my quick little friend. I found some studies online and I am sure with some more digging something more solid could be found but there seems to be a general consensus that while there is money out there from the Feds to install the $50-60k cameras, there is little evidence showing them to be effective. England, which has had cameras longer than many, has a statistic of one camera for every 14 people! But no significant effect on curbing violent crime. It was noted that cities including Detroit, Miami and Oakland have abandoned their use of cameras since no significant results were found.

The one area that it seems to help is in preventing vandalism, so maybe we are on the right path with that but if we think there will less theft, violence, etc. I think stats are showing we might be fooling ourselves.

Some of these studies note that a more effective means of prevention is police on the ground and more lighting in suspected high crime areas. Hmmm...

One other thing is that cameras are often seen to displace, not prevent, crime. This particular building being watched? Not this one though, so up goes some new graffiti.

Maybe the reason we haven't heard much about these existing cameras is there is nothing to share? One other area noted in some quick reads is that camera effectiveness even in preventing vandalism or car theft (when used at parking lots, for example) drops fast when perps aren't picked up quick and reported to the media to tout the system. The assumption seems to be if criminals don't know that a particular method works or not, it loses effectiveness as a deterrence, which may very well be what we are hearing or not hearing with our currently placed cameras.

[Justine Cooper]

Phil,
Did Chicago come up in the googling? I heard only a bit piece on it in the news the other night when they said it worked for Chicago. Most of the complaints on crime here do include vandalism so if only a few cameras in the new schools and parks could prevent that, that is still something. As far as displacing crime, as big as Lakewood is, the hope would be to displace it out of Lakewood! Call me selfish but that is the goal. Why some come to Lakewood to vandalize and cause trouble is because they are getting away with it. Of course I would love to see more police driving around! I owned a shop on Madison and there were evenings I was there that I felt completely isolated and would have loved to see cops driving around outside. (Their response time on the two occasions I needed them was immediate.)

It would also be nice to see proactive solutions to teens with nowhere to go, to use one of the old schools to start a teen center. I just saw Freedom Fighters last night and it reminded me of how tough teens can act but inside many are crying out for help, or more importantly for someone to give a damn! They need heroes in this world. Most of the teens that commit crimes don't do it because they are intrisically "bad". They just don't have the outer guidance system going on and the inner guidance system takes a bit more years to develop. Like it or not, there are many teens who do not have family dinners in Lakewood. The parents are just not there. My daughter has a friend who is moving for the third time this year because her mom isn't paying the rent. As of now she gets dropped off anywhere someone will take her and she is only 10. In a few years what will she be doing? If her mom doesn't have the mothering skills she needs now, she sure won't in three years when she is a teen. I would love nothing better than to have safer streets and a place for teens to go to in Lakewood,in any means we can find it.

[sharon kinsella]

Justine and all -

This is why, even though I think it might be dangerous, I like what JOB, Ken Warren and Dan Slife do, go out and talk to these kids. Sometimes it sounds like they have been able to engage them in conversation. Just if it happens a few times, it's great.

A lot of these kids need mentoring and positive role models. They need to
see that someone cares enough to try and talk to them and spend time on them.

I talk to them in Marc's sometimes and they always look surprised that I said hi and smiled. In return many of these kids smile back and we talk about what they're being, the price of junk food, school starting, etc.

Not a big deal, not a lot of trouble but that connection is great.

[Donald Farris]

Hi,
Here's an article on a source for those cameras:

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/artic ... t_cameras/

Has Lakewood's Police dept. been federalized? What's that mean?

Has Lakewood gotten any of these funds for even the basics?

I'm not sure where I stand on the idea of cameras in Lakewood. I could see them along I90 and perhaps at the entry/exit points to our City. But it is a slippery slope.

[Jim O'Bryan]

Justine and all -

This is why, even though I think it might be dangerous, I like what JOB, Ken Warren and Dan Slife do, go out and talk to these kids. Sometimes it sounds like they have been able to engage them in conversation. Just if it happens a few times, it's great.

Sharon

I know this will sound like and ad, but Dan, Ken, Justine and other will attest, delivering the Observer is a great way to network on a block and the conversation is always fun, serious, and very insightful.

Ken and I have had are eyes opened, and grabbed many a good laugh delivering and walking the streets. It is a great way to connect neighbors and neighborhoods.

We moved to Lakewood for many reasons. Cost, location, walkability, porches, low crime, good schools, etc. We can loose much of this by allowing a few to keep us out of parks, off the street, off our porches.

I am not asking anyone to engage at the level we do. I am sure the police would beg you not to engage at the level we do. But we practice what we preach. We walk the "tough" streets so that others can have fun. What we have found and what I think many others would find out is that our "tough streets" are pretty mild. The "snake pit" is filled with garter snakes not vipers. These are good signs.

I reported months ago in the "worst" development in the city I found an old many sleeping with an i-pod in his top pocket. No fear of theft or being held up. Young girls walking tracks and dark parking lots, with no fear of abduction. No one said, "Yes I am afraid but..."

Council woman Nickie Antonio said it best at a recent council meeting. If we want safer neighborhoods, we must make them neighborhoods. Get out meet your neighbors, talk with them, engage them. Criminals hate noisy neighbors. Start a block watch, not for the eyes but to build a safer neighborhood.

I am willing to bet that 98% of this city wants to live in a safe, clean, engaged community. No one wants to sleep with one eye open. No one wants a bat at the door.

The secret will never be at city hall, do not believe the snake oil. Safe vibrant cities are all about the residents getting involved on any level they can. It is 100% about building a brand this city lost over the last 16 years. Do not come to Lakewood to act like and idiot, or commit crimes.

I have always thought we have maybe two years of HARD work together, to get the city to a place where it is self sufficient, good living, fun, safe, with a nice long run into the future. I still believe that Lakewood is one of the top 5-10 cities in this county. We are not in competition with any of them at what we do best.

The city contrary to popular belief is pretty solid as far as livability. We are not that far away from pushing the city into a bright future.

FWIW



.

[Gary Rice]

Someone, somewhere, said that we need to make a better world where we stand.

So true.

I have a friend who moved into Cleveland's near West Side. He did so for work and school reasons. Nearly everyone thought he was off his rocker.

Supposedly there was so much crime and all...

Well, he got a great deal on a little house on a side street. Before you know it, he met some neighbors, started exchanging stories and smiles. Next thing you know, out comes a few paintbrushes. Then, a few more. Yesterday the street held a block party. The residents are looking out for each other, and learning to get along, and even smile and have fun together.

It is good. In a most improbable area of town, there's a welcome oasis that just about anyone would be glad to live in.

Just takes work, communication, and caring, that's all...

If they can do it in Cleveland, we certainly should be able to do it here.

[Stephen Eisel]

Sharon Reed from WIOI is doing a story in this very subject.

[Justine Cooper]

Goddess Blessed on Madison and Hilliard got their flower boxes so severely damaged last night they are ruined, and they are wrought iron! So do I think some cameras around could have helped? yep! Especially intersections like Hilliard and Madison in which a NEW school sits as well as several businesses, some putting money into trying to beautify this city! And then this? If there more police driving up and down Madison and/or cameras, this shit would not happen. But I forgot, there are all those great ideas going around at all those meetings right before election. I'm sorry, which ones have been successful or implemented?

[kathy curran]

having my flower boxes on the madison avenue side of the store destroyed is at least the fifth time the outside of my store has been vandalised. i think cameras at the intersection of hilliard and madison would be great!!!
i am not the only store on this block being vandalised. it is very frustrating to be a store owner renting space and having your attempts at making the building more attractive be destroyed........
any thoughts??
kathy curran