CCTV At Scott Road Station
The City of Surrey is in the middle of a crime reduction pilot that utilizes 12 CCTV cameras covering the parking lot of the Scott Road Skytrain station. The parking lot is one of Surrey's top ten crime spots, with 6 vehicles thefts and 12 break-ins each month.
In the Province story, the year-long program -- approved by the provincial privacy commissioner -- will be analyzed by SFU School of Criminology to see if crime is actually reduced. According to the story, the video feeds can be monitored live and the tapes are kept for 21 days and only available upon police request.
The results of the pilot could have interesting consequences for Langley considering the crime issues around the Langley bus loop at Logan Ave. and Glover Rd. Langley City has been looking into putting CCTV cameras there, but they want the operational costs covered by Translink. And, so far, Translink hasn't been willing to pick up those costs.
There has been controversy about CCTV and civil rights, especially in the United Kingdom where there are more cameras watching public spaces than anywhere else in the world. Who is watching? Who watches the watchers? What is the effectiveness of the cameras?
What if the SFU study at Scott Road shows that there is value in CCTV, that they reduce crime and that privacy issues are dealt with? Should cities install them? Should cities pay for it themselves? Should it be a Translink responsibility when they are installed at transit stops?
What do you think?
In the Province story, the year-long program -- approved by the provincial privacy commissioner -- will be analyzed by SFU School of Criminology to see if crime is actually reduced. According to the story, the video feeds can be monitored live and the tapes are kept for 21 days and only available upon police request.
The results of the pilot could have interesting consequences for Langley considering the crime issues around the Langley bus loop at Logan Ave. and Glover Rd. Langley City has been looking into putting CCTV cameras there, but they want the operational costs covered by Translink. And, so far, Translink hasn't been willing to pick up those costs.
There has been controversy about CCTV and civil rights, especially in the United Kingdom where there are more cameras watching public spaces than anywhere else in the world. Who is watching? Who watches the watchers? What is the effectiveness of the cameras?
What if the SFU study at Scott Road shows that there is value in CCTV, that they reduce crime and that privacy issues are dealt with? Should cities install them? Should cities pay for it themselves? Should it be a Translink responsibility when they are installed at transit stops?
What do you think?
posted by Sam Kirk @ 1:39 AM
