Cameras are a necessary evil in city that’s infected by crime

It’s no secret that crime remains an intractable problem in the city of Youngstown — through no fault of law enforcement.

Despite all the crime-fighting initiatives, including a major program by U.S. Attorney Steven Dettelbach that involves federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, the criminals still have the upper hand in too many neighborhoods.

The battlefield must be leveled, and if that means the city installing surveillance cameras in high-crime areas, we say — albeit reluctantly — that’s the reality of urban America.

Cities around the country, including Pittsburgh, have dealt with privacy concerns by pointing out that giving law enforcement extra sets of eyes is paying dividends.

The city that has come to epitomize the use of technology to watch over its citizenry is London, England.

In the press coverage of the one-year anniversary last week of the killing of Osama bin Laden, the world’s leading terrorist, one of the stories had to do with the July 7, 2005, suicide bombings aimed at the public transportation system in Britain. The attacks took place during the morning rush hours.

Four bombs were detonated in quick succession by four home-grown terrorists. Fifty-two people and the four bombers were killed. Over 700 were injured. Underground trains in London and a double-decker bus were targeted.

The city of London has surveillance cameras at virtually every street corner, which enabled law enforcement to follow a trail of clues that led from London to nearby Luton to Leeds in the north of the country and to Cairo, according to CBC News online.

“A second wave of bombers two weeks later failed in their attempt to kill London commuters again, and left even more clues for police to work with,” the network reported.

While cameras in high-crime areas in Youngstown won’t end the epidemic, having a record of what’s taking place is important. Neighborhood watch groups and concerned citizens have an important role to play in alerting police to what’s going on around them, but cameras have become an important weapon in the battle against criminals.

The city of Youngstown is seeking proposals for cameras that would be installed on West Federal Street in downtown and on the South Side near St. Dominic Church. In addition, city police would have the ability to access surveillance cameras at private businesses.

It’s all about monitoring the activities in the two areas so police can respond in a timely fashion.

Deterrent

The surveillance cameras can be a deterrent, the same way as police walking the beat in high-crime areas sends a message to would-be criminals.

We have long worried about the cost a free society must bear in the name of safety. Civil liberties are not to be surrendered lightly. But we also acknowledge that the reality on the ground requires drastic action.

As the mercury rises and the days get longer, some streets become veritable war-zones. Residents in high-crime areas call us with tales of woe that sound almost unbelievable.

For instance, many homes in the poorer neighborhoods do not have air-conditioning, and yet residents are forced to remain in their oven-like homes during the summer because it is too dangerous for them to sit on their front porches.

Cameras are a necessary evil in a city that is infected by crime.