If I had
the resources, the time – and maybe an intern’s detailed assistance – I would
investigate how many arrests were made in Canarsie last year thanks to
surveillance camera footage. How many unsolved crimes exist despite footage capturing
someone in the act? To be specific, how many crimes in New York City Housing
were thwarted, altogether, by the presence of cameras?
A year ago,
a young man shown on camera walking through Bayview Houses was apprehended for a
rash of robberies shortly after his image was released. Maybe the arrest was a
result of the new technology installed at the housing development. Maybe it was
thanks to quick-acting residents who recognized the thug while he was walking the
grounds.
Really…how
much are cameras really worth much when you realize they might not prevent a crime
from occurring. Yes, criminals may be deterred from committing an act if they
know they’re on camera, but they could easily conceal their identity and get
away with murder – literally – should they feel the need to commit one.
Unless
there’s a security guard behind the scenes, watching live video feed, who will
act promptly before the suspect flees the scene, too many tragedies will occur
with only a video camera in place.
It’s good
to hear that 29 New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) developments in the
city will be getting security cameras by the end of this year. Last week’s news
of upgrades and additional installations will probably be well received by
NYCHA tenants – but how effective will cameras be when it truly comes to crime
prevention? What about inside buildings, elevators, hallways and areas where
cameras won’t reach?
In my
opinion, it won’t be enough to spend millions upon million of dollars (NYCHA and city officials are
reportedly providing $17 million) on installing cameras in city buildings, as
per Mayor Bill de Blasio’s announcement last year.
Let’s get
real! When the media publishes the headline and story: “Shooter/stabber/robber
caught on camera,” the horrific act has already been committed. A life
has already been lost, changed or impacted…A wallet or phone has already
been stolen and an attack has already traumatized the victim!
We’ve seen
plenty of camera footage on the news where a gunman opened fire in the middle
of the street, outside of a club or house party. It’s great that we have those images
of the reckless punks, but in many unfortunate cases, police were unable to
respond fast enough to catch up with the suspects – who already left multiple
people with wounds that perhaps scarred them for life – or cost them their
lives!
Chances
are, arrests are made in those club and party house shootings as a result of
someone coming forward with information. However, it’s satisfying knowing that justice
will eventually be served and that a criminal will do time as a result of being
positively identified via technology.
When it
comes to scum-of-the-earth nutcases like Daniel St. Hubert, who brutally
stabbed two innocent children in an elevator in the Boulevard Houses in 2014,
justice can’t come soon enough even though he was arrested within a few days of
the stabbings. Would it have mattered if a camera were installed in those buildings
while he was committing the heartless crime?
Even if he
knew he was on camera, I don’t think he was in a sensible, normal frame of mind
to realize what he was doing in the first place. Reports stated that St. Hubert
went back and forth with authorities on whether he was mentally fit to even
stand trial! Please…A “normal functioning” person does NOT take a knife to two
defenseless children! In this case, I don’t think all the cameras in the world
– worth thousands of taxpayers’ dollars – would have saved those innocent kids.
It seems
like most criminals aren’t banking on getting arrested or being identified – or
most of them wouldn’t be committing the crime in the first place. I know that’s
a naïve way of thinking, but can we assume that a lot of criminals are somehow “mentally
unfit,” which results in them making irrational decisions to commit crimes?
Cameras stand no chance – anywhere, not just in NYCHA buildings – when it comes
to ruthless scoundrels and their violent tactics.
In my
opinion, we need more HUMAN presence instead of machines and technology to
simply observe a crime going down. Unfortunately, there’s not enough money in
the world to hire enough manpower to patrol NYCHA to catch criminals and repeat
offenders. Preventing shootings will NEVER happen!
Let’s see
if the millions of dollars spent on installing cameras will spare the lives of
thousands of victims who are waiting to be shot, stabbed, robbed and attacked.
Instead, we’ll be looking at blurry and dark images of someone running from a
crime scene.
When crime
decreases in buildings that already have cameras, we might have a chance to
capture the moment – and the crook – before it’s too late.
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