The San Francisco Police Commission has approved a request by the city’s mayor to add surveillance cameras at eight additional high-crime street corners, according to a newspaper report.
The 25 new cameras will be added to the 33 already in place at 14 locations.
The commission recently voted 5-0 to approve the cameras (two members were absent), but expressed disappointment that Mayor Gavin Newsom had not provided more information about whether the existing cameras have deterred crime, the San Francisco Chronicle.
In approving the additional cameras as a pilot program, the newspaper reported Commissioner David Campos was persuaded by the dozens of residents asking for help fighting crime in their neighborhoods. Many other residents have spoken against the cameras due to privacy concerns.
The commission added a provision to require that the cameras be turned off during permitted, political demonstrations, the newspaper reported.
The mayor’s video surveillance program commenced in 2005. So far, 33 cameras have been installed at 14 locations at a cost of nearly $500,000. The proposal to deploy an additional 25 cameras is expected to cost more than $275,000.
