According to the AJC Atlanta is next on a list of American cities that includes Chicago and Cincinnati to incorporate city wide video surveillance as a crime deterrent.  Video surveillance is an issue that people typically don’t split hairs on.  You either love or hate it.

There are plenty of reasons to hate city wide video surveillance.  Camera software is used to locate suspicious activity.  Suspicious activity is subjective at best and can potentially divert critical officer attention.  Adam Schwartz, a lawyer from the Illinois ACLU, says that cameras don’t stop crime at all.  Adam says they just displace it.  Camera surveillance also carries the weight of potential privacy invasions and a restriction of free speech.

There are also plenty of reasons to love video surveillance.  It can flat out eliminate crime in camera locations.  It can dramatically reduce the amount of time it takes police to respond to a crime.  Camera footage of license plates or clear faces has been used to catch criminals.  Camera footage is an excellent eye witness that lacks the emotion of a person.

So which side of the table are you on?

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