CCTV Camers, Crime, and San Francisco

The San Francisco Chronicle has written an article about a recent study at UC Berkly of SF's 60 CCTV cameras. Researchers looked at over 59, 000 crimes which occurred within 1, 000 feet of cameras between 1 January 2005 to 28 January 2008. What I found ironic was the discovery that the researchers found most violent crime around the cameras at 250 feet or less had decreased. The further you went away from the cameras the more crime. Wow. That's a novel concept. I'm not saying the researchers were inept at understanding basic criminal methodology but this does seem a bit odd.

Even odder was this comment in the article:

The only cameras' only positive effect appears to be the 22 percent drop in property crime within 100 feet of the cameras, though people broke into cars parked near the cameras at the same rate as they did before the cameras were installed, according to the study released today.

I'm not a fan of technology being a "save-all" in crime prevention but I find it very incredulous that a non-criminal justice professional would not understand the positive effect CCTV's have when properly utilized. Again, I go back to my previous statements about CCTV systems; They are only as good their operators and the money and expertise to maintain and upgrade then.

Crime relocation is not the same as crime prevention . By moving, it does provide some areas enough time to rebound and bring back positive ideas, people, and activities. So just because crime moved doesn't mean that was necessarily a bad thing. I'm sure the residents and cops who live and/or work on those streets where the crime moved from would tell you they welcome the break.