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March 21, 2008
Analysis of Cameras on Crime in San Francisco
[From Crime cameras not capturing many crimes - Chronicle]
Preliminary results are being released on a study of the effectiveness of cameras in San Francisco. The cameras have slightly reduced nonviolent threats, otherwise they have had no effect on crime.
The city contracted with the UC Berkeley's Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society to evaluate the cameras. The final report won't be available for a few months. I am glad San Francisco is doing this and I wish other cities (ahem . . Chicago) would allow researchers to evaluate the effectiveness of cameras. An important factor to consider is that the cameras in San Francisco are not monitored in real-time (lowering costs, but also lowering effectiveness).
Researchers examined data from the San Francisco Police Department detailing the 59,706 crimes committed within 1,000 feet of the camera locations between Jan. 1, 2005, and Jan. 28, 2008. . . . The only positive deterrent effect was the reduction of larcenies within 100 feet of the cameras. No other crimes were affected - except for homicides, which had an interesting pattern. Murders went down within 250 feet of the cameras, but the reduction was completely offset by an increase 250 to 500 feet away, suggesting people moved down the block before killing each other.
Posted by rshah at March 21, 2008 11:58 AM
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