With police departments across the nation experiencing drastic budget cuts, more and more cities are beginning to adopt surveillance cameras as a means to fight crime. But how effective can these security cameras really be at reducing crime? More importantly, are they worth the money?
According to this article from GovTech.com, the answer to both questions is a resounding yes.
Several cities with less than exemplary reputations for crime – Baltimore, Chicago, and Washington D.C. – have already instituted massive surveillance initiatives. Baltimore, for instance, has spent $8.1 million (as of 2008) in startup and maintenance costs, and that security investment has resulted in as many as 30 fewer incidents of crime per month, as well as $12 million in avoided victimization and criminal justice costs, according to Urban Institute.
Yet, Washington D.C. has seen no drop in crime since it installed surveillance cameras in 2006. But this may be because the cameras are not marked with the flashing blue light like in Baltimore, dramatically reducing their visibility. Furthermore, Washington D.C. enacted a policy that restricted how these cameras are monitored in order to protect citizen’s privacy.
What a study of these two cities have shown us is that there seems to be a direct correlation between the visibility of surveillance cameras, how often they are monitored, and the effectiveness of these security initiatives.
With the right number of cameras actively monitoring the streets and the right balance between privacy and security, surveillance cameras can be a very cost-effective means of crime reduction.
For any questions on Surveillance Cameras and their role in fighting crime, simply contact ARK Systems at 1-800-995-0189 or click here today.
When you consider how crucial security can be, and when you think of all the options that you’re faced with today, one thing becomes clear. You need a contractor with experience. For assessment, design, installation, testing and service, ARK is the expert across the board.
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Sources:
Study: Surveillance Cams Worth the Money, Don’t Always Reduce Urban Crime