Are public- private surveillance cameras coming to a town near you?

When D.C. police began installing surveillance cameras in neighborhoods more than five years ago as crime-fighting tools, privacy concerns voiced by civil liberties groups limited their scope and use.

Now a less-formal agreement from a citizens association planning to expand the Metropolitan Police Department’s watchful eye in Georgetown over the next few months is hitting a similar hurdle.

The Citizens Association of Georgetown, a private neighborhood association, plans to pay for the installation of up to 10 cameras in the hopes that the additional surveillance will deter crime.

The Georgetown group’s cameras will tape public spaces such as streets and sidewalks, and video that could be used to solve a crime will be turned over to police, the group’s members said. The cameras will be located on private property, such as in residents’ yards, and as a result they will skirt the stringent rules imposed on the police department’s closed-circuit camera system.

A new wave of public-private surveillance partnerships, are happening across the country. Community groups in cities including Newport News, Va., and Houston have installed camera systems in recent years to ward off crime.

“Once the camera is there it’s very tempting to say ‘Let’s look at it for other reasons,’ ” said Arthur Spitzer, legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of the Nation's Capital.

For three years, N Street resident Edward “Chip” Dent has helped operate three surveillance cameras on his block. The three cameras, paid for by the block’s residents, have taped crimes such as hit-and-runs, the theft of packages from neighbors’ doorsteps, and vandalism, Mr. Dent said.

Each time a resident reports a crime on the block, Mr. Dent transfers camera recordings — which are kept under lock and key in a closet in his home — to investigating police officers.

“Over a couple-year period, we’ve had six felony apprehensions and three convictions,” Mr. Dent said, adding that police will often use the tapes to identify license plates or suspects.

Police officials could not say whether other neighborhood groups are using security cameras in a similar way but condoned the practice.

“The Metropolitan Police Department supports efforts of residents to secure their own property. If they obtain footage that may be useful in solving a case, we would review it and follow up accordingly,” police spokeswoman Gwendolyn Crump said.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/feb/5/surveillance-from-private-property-questioned/