Key Points and Recommendations for a Public CCTV
Surveillance
System in New Orleans
Evidence on public CCTV surveillance systems both in the
United States and particularly in Europe suggest that such systems have limited
success mainly in reducing citizens' fear of crime in urban downtown areas and
in some cases actually reducing certain types of criminal activity (e.g., auto
burglaries and minor thefts). The most successful systems appear to be those
that have been well planned with clear and realistic expectations of what the
system can do and well managed with a clear chain of command of responsibility
and accountability. CCTV surveillance systems are effective when they are
integrated into an overall program of crime prevention and control. They
constitute but one tool or resource that can be used in preventing or
controlling crime. These systems should not be seen as "magic
solutions" to a city's crime problem. The underwriters of the proposed
public CCTV system in New Orleans should proceed cautiously and examine in
detail every aspect of the system before implementation begins.
Summarized below are key
points and questions and in some instances recommendations to be considered in
order to obtain the maximum effects from the use of public surveillance
technology.
A master plan should be created and it must address six major areas of consideration, including:
1. Clearly defined goals and sets
of expectations with precisely delineated and measurable outcomes.
2. Detailed description of the monitoring operation
and management of the system.
3. Codes of practices formulated
with legal counsel to avoid liability lawsuits.
4. Independent evaluation of how
the system is working and how well it is meeting the desired objectives.
5. Ongoing plan for future upgrading
and development of system.
6. Public advertising, public relations
and public dissemination of information regarding the system and its
effects.
The goals and outcomes will
set the parameters of the system and will determine the nature and scope of
management and operation. They should reflect commonly stated rationales and
assumptions and be realistic in there
expectations.
It is recommended that a separate
study be conducted on the management and control aspects of the proposed New
Orleans public CCTV system.
Decisions should be made
regarding the nature of management team and the type of monitoring approach to
be used. For example, will the monitoring be conducted by permanently staffed
live camera operators or will the monitoring be exclusively video recorded
(video monitored) with no live operators? Or will the system encompass some
combination of live monitoring and video recording?
At what time intervals will
the monitoring occur ‑ 24 hours, 12 hours, or special event monitoring?
What will be the extent of
camera coverage? (A high degree of camera coverage, including numerous
well-placed cameras, is required to make an impact.)
If personnel are employed to
live monitor cameras, will these individuals be civilians or commissioned
police officers and who will be in charge of their training?
If live monitors detect a
criminal event in progress, who will interpret the event and how will the response
be initiated?
If video monitors are used,
who will review the tapes and will they be of sufficient quality for use as
evidence in the prosecution of offenders?
If management of the
surveillance system is to be an exclusive law enforcement operation, key
questions are:
‑ Has NOPD'S top management offered a concrete
plan on how they will incorporate the system into their daily routine
operations?
‑ What office or division of NOPD will be in
charge of the system?
‑ Will any new positions be created for the
administration of the program?
- Have any projected costs for personnel,
maintenance and replacement of equipment been established and who will be
responsible for these?
‑ To what extent will NOPD Data Systems be
coordinated with the video surveillance program?
‑ Where will the central monitoring system be
located, in a store front of the CBD or in a district or special duty station?
Precise codes of practice must
be established and made known to the management team and to camera operators
(if live monitored). For instance, special duty uses of the surveillance system
such as traffic and special event monitoring must be spelled out.
A professional designed
evaluation program specifying exactly how the system will be evaluated, the
costs of the evaluation, who will be responsible for the evaluation and at what
intervals the system will be evaluated is critical. It is important to determine
how the information will be reported and used.
The physical parameters and
the technological components of the system must lend themselves to upgrading
and compatibility with the possibility of adapting or adding new surveillance
technologies at reasonable costs.
Public Dissemination of
Information
The CCTV system needs to be
well publicized on a continuous basis in order to have the effect of reducing
fear of crime in the CBD and deterring criminals by alerting them to the existence
of the system.