Life Under the Police Cameras

As a resident of the West Side, it’s hard not to notice the police cameras at numerous corners.  There are also other neighborhoods in which cameras are located.  However, the question is:  Do these cameras make people feel safer? Some people believe that they do while others believe they don’t. One thing is for sure – they haven’t made much of a difference when it comes to reducing crime in my community.

At first there was much controversy about whether or not the cameras should stay or go.  There are some people who believe the cameras have made the community safer.  They believe the cameras let police watch whenever there’s a shooting or gang related activity.  I disagree because most of the time police say that the suspect for the crime committed around the area is unknown.

Most people believe that the cameras don’t play a major role in safety because people are still getting shot all around the neighborhood, especially teenage boys. These cameras also don’t keep our teens from hanging out on the street corners all the time.  Every time I walk home from school, I pass through a corner where a camera is located.  In this corner, teenage boys are always hanging out looking for trouble and harassing girls.  Although there’s a camera at that corner, the police never seem to kick them out.

Also, these cameras are costly.  During a recession, the government should spend its money on something more helpful.  I wonder if somebody is looking at all the cameras everyday.  How can they know when a suspicious activity is occurring?

I believe that these cameras are just put up to make the people living in the community feel safe, but they don’t actually do anything to make the community safer.  If the city wanted to actually help out the community, they would organize more programs like CAPS (Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy) to get more teenagers off the streets.

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