Cameras Trained On Hot Corners

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by Paul Bass | Jun 30, 2011 3:48 pm

(26) Comments | Commenting has been closed | E-mail the Author

Posted to: Legal Writes, The Hill

Paul Bass Photo A visitor appeared on a light pole at Howard Avenue and Spring Street Thursday, looking like an alien eyeball that popped out of its socket. Enoch Cain didn’t notice it at first; when he learned its true mission, he said he hopes it makes the walk to the corner store with his kids safer.

That, in fact, was no alien eyeball protruding from the street light. It was the first of 21 video cameras the police department is placing at crime-plagued corners to help stop crime.

Officials announced Thursday that they’ve put up four cameras so far and expect to have seven of the 21 up by mid-July. They bought the cameras with a $1 million grant.

Right now the cameras will stream live to police headquarters at 1 Union Ave. The cops will keep the recordings for 15 days in case they need them to help investigate crimes.

The goal is eventually to stream them directly to neighborhood substations and district managers’ computers. For now the cameras are going up in the Hill, Newhallville, and Dwight neighborhoods in spots where police have noticed a high number of crimes and citizen complaints. The cops plan to move the cameras around.

Newhallville Alderman Charles Blango (pictured) had been waiting for this day. He has been pushing for the cameras in his neighborhood in the wake of months of shootings. (Note: These are different from “red-light cameras.”)

“This may not be the answer to all the problems,” but they should help, Blango said. “If the people won’t speak, the cameras will.”

Assistant Police Chief Tobin Hensgen (pictured) said the camera project aims as much at deterrence as collecting evidence. He cited prison studies in which crooks call cameras the number-one factor stopping them from doing ill on a street. “If there are cameras there they’ll go some place else. It has a tremendous effect,” he said.

The Sony SNC-FH164 high-definition dome cameras do have the ability to cover 360-degree terrain. They can also zoom in and provide high-enough definition—thanks to “H264 compression”—to capture the numbers and letters on license plates, Hensgen said. He proved it by offering a demonstration at a press conference at police headquarters, zooming in live from the stream at Howard and Spring in the Hill.

Meanwhile, at Howard and Spring itself, a stream of customers stopping to buy loosies or newspapers or juice or subs at Victor’s Market welcomed the cameras.

“Whatever works,” said Dez Wilkes, a 41-year-old warehouse worker. “I don’t mind. There’s places all over the world that’s got ‘em; I watch TV shows [that feature them]. It’s about time we got ‘em.”

Click here to see the calls that came in near the block in May.

Enoch Cain (pictured at the top of the story with twin 6-year-old sons Matthew and Michael) agreed the cameras “can only help.” He said he worries about his kids “all the time”—not just in the neighborhood, but at the mall or when they get on a school bus.

He doesn’t let them walk alone to Victor’s Market. Like others interviewed on the corner, he said he doesn’t hang out on the corner after dark when more dangerous activity takes place. He said he hopes the cameras help more with “breaking up gatherings” on the corner and perhaps with dangerous driving. He recalled a hit-and-run car accident on the corner several years ago.

Bob Flynn (pictured), too, said he figures the cameras will help the block. But he said he has a much bigger concerns that only TV news cameras, rather than police surveillance cameras, can help him combat: tax hikes.

Specifically, taxes on cigarettes. Like the 46-cent-per-pack hike taking effect Friday.

Flynn distributes cigarettes to convenience stores all over town. Thursday he was delivering a new sign to Victor’s revealing the new price of a pack of Wave nicotine sticks: $7. People need to know more about that problem, he said, and fight back against the governor.

Comments

posted by: anon on June 30, 2011 4:02pm

Great work. These cameras have been used in Washington DC and Newark NJ with great success. Speaking of “hot corners,” please install the cameras on Dixwell near the intersections with Bassett, Division, Henry, and Charles; Chapel Street between Winthrop and Day; Whalley Avenue between Norton and Sherman; Shelton at Starr; Congress and West; at Farnam Courts; Grand between Ferry and Fillmore; and in the Sherman/Percival/Goffe area.

posted by: Atwater on June 30, 2011 4:06pm

Racial profiling? Community segregation? Yeah, both of those things. I wonder how many cameras are going up in East Rock, Wooster or Westville. I understand the argument about crime prevention, but it doesn’t hold water. These cameras will not prevent crime, they will only further restrict a community fighting against police bias and contribute to the deep sense of seperation and alienation members of that community struggle with. These cameras are a waste of money and a horribly misguided idea.

posted by: anon on June 30, 2011 4:17pm

Atwater, perhaps there are not cameras in those areas because residents in those areas are not asking for them.

According to the Independent, East Rock, Wooster Square and Westville had a grand total of one murder in the past six years. Dixwell/Newhallville had almost 30.

posted by: anon on June 30, 2011 4:31pm

P.S. The single murder taking place in East Rock, Wooster Square and Westville was a murder-suicide in 2006, and had little to do with the type of community safety that these cameras are trying to address.

posted by: debunking atwater on June 30, 2011 4:50pm

posted by: Atwater on June 30, 2011 4:06pm
“Racial profiling? Community segregation? Yeah, both of those things.”

Atwater, please stop using race as an “offense” argument against facts. There is real racism in America - but the more people… use the racism argument against facts, the more that real racism is able to get by into the media and society, because your ridiculous anti-fact comments rip credibility away from other people who cry “racism” at real racism.

The facts are these - violent crimes occur in Dixwell and Newhallville over 1000% more often than in neighborhoods like East Rock. Ergo, crime prevention and recording strategies are needed in Dixwell and Newhallville, not East Rock.

Facts are facts. ...

posted by: Westville on June 30, 2011 4:55pm

@ Anon: Westville had two murders in 2010; a shooting and a stabbing.

posted by: Sean on June 30, 2011 5:05pm

1) NHI sure loves to talk about loosies.

2) What does an anti-tax cigarette salesman have to do with this story?

posted by: anon on June 30, 2011 5:13pm

Westville, I don’t doubt you, but keep in mind that there are different definitions of what Westville is. Places that some people call Westville, such as Beaver Hills, Edgewood, Amity, and West Rock are considered separate neighborhoods.

Similarly, some people would consider the Jocelyn Square and Farnam Courts areas, where several murders have taken place, as part of Wooster Square but most people would not.

Any way you look at it, the point stands. I was considering the six years 2005 through 2010, since 2011 information isn’t all verified.

posted by: Threefifths on June 30, 2011 6:04pm

What happens when a person wears a ski mask or Hoodie.

posted by: first observer on June 30, 2011 10:48pm

Why on Earth is Bob Flynn tacked onto the end of this story with a complaint about the new sales tax? What does that have to do with surveillance cameras intended to try to reduce crime?

posted by: Eastshore on July 1, 2011 2:20am

I wonder if the cameras are bulletproof? If not I hope they are insured. We better hope these NH ... start aiming better or there will be plenty more stray bullets flying around when the criminals start shooting at the cameras.

posted by: Edward_H on July 1, 2011 6:58am

Threefifths

“What happens when a person wears a ski mask or Hoodie.”

If a criminal is caught on camera while wearing a hoodie or ski mask you still have a record of the crime, a possible height, weight, identifying clothing, possible direction the suspect traveled in, possible identification of the suspect vehicle if one was used, the number of suspects involved if the person was incapcitated. And that is just the stuff I thought of off the top of my head. A real cop could probably tell you much more.

posted by: Atwater on July 1, 2011 7:43am

@anon and debunking: Your supposition is based on the false premise that cameras prevent crime, they don’t. The city of Baltimore is a good example. Crime will remain in the neighborhoods, simply moving to areas where cameras aren’t, or smart criminals will figure out a way of disabling them. Cameras are not a solution, just a security blanket offering no real protection from crime. I agree the race argument is sometimes spuriously used, and perhaps I did mislabel the situation. This is not a racial segregation or profiling, it is class discrimination and profiling. Either way it is an example of inequitable treatment of some of our neighbors. We should instead invest our time, efforts and money into city-wide economic improvement which would effect crime prevention a lot better than security cameras. But, perhaps it is easier to just keep an eye on the poor folks, maybe in a few years we can build a fence or a wall around the neighborhood and install guard towers.

posted by: anon on July 1, 2011 9:40am

Atwater, so how do you have economic improvements when small businesses are afraid to open, or hire people, in certain neighborhoods due to crime?

Crime has been identified as the single greatest deterrent to business and jobs in many inner city areas like the ones being discussed here.

And how does the community organize and work to improve itself, if people won’t go out knocking door to door at night, or visiting a community center, due to their concerns over public safety?

Anyhow, I agree with your overall point. When the city does things like install cameras or hire police officers, it should make sure that local residents see some of the benefit. For example, 25% of the cost of each camera should be directed back to youth programs within the neighborhoods where cameras are being installed.

And we should make sure that police officers live in our neighborhoods, not in the suburbs as 90% currently do. Until police live in our neighborhoods again (like they did, not so long ago, and as they do in the many other cities that have residency requirements), you are correct that the economic situation is pretty bleak.

Though we won’t literally build guard towers in neighborhoods, we do it figuratively by spending more money to incarcerate people from the neighborhoods than we spend on all other expenditures combined.

posted by: Threefifths on July 1, 2011 10:36am

posted by: Edward_H on July 1, 2011 6:58am
Threefifths

“What happens when a person wears a ski mask or Hoodie.”

What happens if you have ten people with hoodies and ski mask on.My point is that all the camera will show is a image of the crime.

Debate: Crime cameras

http://debatepedia.idebate.org/en/index.php/Debate:_Crime_cameras#Deterrence:_Do_crime_cameras_help_deter_crime.3F

posted by: Atwater on July 1, 2011 12:02pm

anon: The neighborhoods will not be any safer now that the cameras have been installed. 100% of the cost of putting the cameras up should have gone to neighborhood revitalization, i.e., hardscaping, installing extra street lighting, improving sidewalks, providing grants to property owners for home improvements, community programs for youths and adults, etc.

posted by: anon on July 1, 2011 12:11pm

I agree 100%, Atwater. Theoretically, there are always better ways to spend targeted grant funds. Unfortunately, the City of New Haven does not have authority over the Federal Government’s budget.

posted by: Threefifths on July 1, 2011 7:22pm

If video cameras curb crime,ow come you have them in banks and the banks are still being robbed.

posted by: Alan Felder on July 1, 2011 9:41pm

Who are the real criminals? Our children can not get new and up dated books in school, but the Justice Department can give money for cameras, I have more respect for the late and former Governor George Wallace and Public Safety Commissioner Eugene “Bull” Connor of Alabama than I have for any politician or police chief in the City of New Haven; their racism was overt, but now racism is covert and we are seeing it first hand in the City of New Haven. This is another Black Code, and a racist policy, criminalizing the Black and Latino communities. (The Prison Industrial Slave Complex) has created an electronic prison without walls, “Big Brother” at its best just like the People’s Republic of China, are we becoming a communist New Haven? the future will not lie, and “Truth is forever on the Scaffold”, “Wrong forever on the Throne”, http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/03/world/asia/03china.html

“All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for people of good conscience to remain silent. “

Thomas Jefferson

“Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety”

Ben Franklin

posted by: John on July 2, 2011 2:59am

This town is a joke. How about we stop wasting money on making people feel safe and actually keep them safe.
What’s to stop the thugs from putting a ski mask on and shooting the cameras? Maybe the NHPD hasn’t seen “The Wire”.

posted by: Edward_H on July 2, 2011 4:44am

3/5

What happens if you have ten people with hoodies and ski mask on.My point is that all the camera will show is a image of the crime.

The video can still provide valuable information that will help the police narrow down a list of suspects. For example, if the police can review the video quickly enough they can get a good description of the person’s clothing. Even if they take the ski mask off I doubt they would have a full change of clothes

posted by: whalley ave on July 3, 2011 1:18pm

Whalley Ave WILL TAKE ALL THE Camera’s send them all down….Please!!!

posted by: Edward_H on July 3, 2011 3:09pm

John

“What’s to stop the thugs from putting a ski mask on and shooting the cameras? Maybe the NHPD hasn’t seen “The Wire”.”

I don’t think we should be basing Public Safety Policy on fictional TV shows. Most street ... can’t hit each other much less a camera posted on a pole

posted by: Edward_H on July 3, 2011 3:12pm

3/5s

If video cameras curb crime,ow come you have them in banks and the banks are still being robbed.

Because that’s where the money is . :)

posted by: Bmor on July 4, 2011 10:38am

Atwater. ... I live in the wooster street neighborhood and let me tell you something we don’t need them. We dont hang out on the corners late at night selling drugs robbing people and starting fights. We walk are dogs go for jogs and have decent conversation. Why would you ... say they are racial profiling. There trying to stop crime in communities that need them. .. It’s not about color any more its about fighting crime. New haven is to beautiful to be 4th dangerous in the country. Let’s try working together Atwater.

posted by: kim on July 5, 2011 12:57pm

Edward,

I believe “The Wire” comment was a joke. However, the truth is, in cities where cameras have been installed, many are destroyed in a matter of weeks.
Of the 73 cameras in the D.C. area, none have provided footage that has helped solve any crimes committed since 2006. (source: Washington Post)

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